


Here for you

by luthorcorp



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Kara is not Supergirl, also its au, and lillian is still a binch, and slow burn for supercorp??, autistic!kara, but lena still runs l corp, flirshy af sanvers, i have no idea how long this is gonna be, i think lena and kara will get together but for now, im super excited, lex is still in jail, multi chap, really supportive lena, sanvers has been together for a few years, so maggie and alex are cops, so we shall see, some mutual pining, theyre very good friends, this is my first fic !
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-10-14 15:34:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 26,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10539378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luthorcorp/pseuds/luthorcorp
Summary: The Danvers sisters and Maggie decide to spend a week at a ski lodge for the holidays, and it just so happens that Lena Luthor is staying in the exact same lodge.If you're looking for flirty sanvers, autistic Kara, supportive Lena, a shit ton of fluff, and someone beating mon el to the ground, you've come to the right place.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There's a lot of fluff.

The week before Christmas, it had snowed. A lot. Lena was looking forward to having a break. As the CEO of L-Corp, work was all she knew. Especially because she had to clean up her family’s mess, restarting her company from the lowest of lows and combatting undeserved hate on top of it. Luthor was a heavily weighted name, and Christmas was just what she needed to relieve some of it.

Ski boots were a pain to put on, and Lena was sweating under her coat. The fact that the locker room was cramped and hot didn’t help, but Lena didn’t mind. A blush formed on her cheeks from the heat, she couldn’t wait to get out into air that didn’t feel like the inside of a furnace. She clipped the last strap on her left boot and sat up to catch her breath. A small smile crept up on her face, she was ready. Lena grabbed her poles, hiked her skis up on her shoulders, and walked out.

Lena loved skiing. She loved the thrill. Flying past icy patches and sliding across soft powder, the wind in her face and her hands gripping the poles. She loved it because of the circumstances. The mountain: a place where you would be seemingly out of control. The mountain is trees in clumps, and rabbit tracks in the snow. It’s awkwardly placed rocks and powerful winds. It’s the creak of the lift carrying you up and dropping you off. It’s the sun peaking out from behind the trees, and the snow glistening on the ground. The skiers are just guests here, part of something much bigger. And although all the odds are against Lena, she still cuts through the wind, she still has control over her own movements and choices. She loves it because it reflects her life almost all too well. All the odds have been against her. All starting from not having her own family, followed by her beloved brother going rogue, and her evil mother being well, evil. Despite her complicated familial troubles, Lena has always persevered, and she will continue to. Lena had control, and she liked it. 

She also loved the mountain because under her coat and helmet and goggles, nobody knew who she was. Nobody could hate her simply because of a very unfortunate surname, she could be anybody. No, she could be  _ herself _ without unrelentless judgement everywhere she walked, and Lena reveled in the lack of attention. She is, after all, only 24 years old. She deserves to have some fun. 

Lena brushed the snow off the bottom of her boots, clipped them into black skis that glowed against the snow, and made her way to the lift. This ride was an easy one, Lena wanted to start off slow after not having skied for a while. Surprisingly, there was hardly anyone on line. A few kids had just boarded the lift, giggling as Lena slid through the lanes. There was only one other person, she was just standing there in front of the boarding mark, almost hesitant to claim the next chair. Lena skied up next to her and locked onto blue eyes and a nervous smile. Lena chuckled to herself. She looked like a child, afraid to get on the lift. The squint of her eyes and upturned eyebrows suggested an almost apologetic stance, and her nervous laughter made Lena smile.

She turned her head towards the woman, her own smile never really leaving her face. Lena cleared her throat, a bit hesitant to speak not knowing how the woman would react. She went for it. 

“Um, are you single?” Lena’s eyes widened when she realized how that sounded. “I–I mean are you a single rider? I mean it just looks like you’re alone and I was wondering if you wanted someone to go with?” Lena was rambling and starting to regret even saying anything before the other woman cut her off. 

“No! No, it’s okay. That would be great actually. You can probably tell I’m not very good at this…” The woman trailed off with a laugh and looked down, picking at the rubber on her pole handle as a very awkward silence filled the space between them. Lena cleared her throat once again.

“Well then, shall we?” She motioned to the next lift that was clunking on the wire above it. The woman nodded, then gestured to her very awkwardly placed skis. She was a little bit hunched over due to her positioning, and Lena had to stifle a laugh. She simply nodded in understanding and tucked her poles underneath her armpits. She then made her way in front of the woman, facing her. Lena noticed how adorable she was, struggling to get her footing and looking up at Lena occasionally for her approval. 

“Here, hand me your poles.” Lena bent forward and grabbed onto one end of the poles. She looked into her eyes, silently asking if the woman was okay, and once she got a nod of approval, Lena gently tugged her towards the lift. 

They made it on, very awkwardly needless to say. There was a lot of shuffling involved, and they almost missed the chair coming up behind them, so Lena had to grab the woman by her waist to tug her up. Lena blushed at the contact, which she internally scolded herself for. She was a powerful woman, and she would not let a girl she hardly knows fluster her. Especially since said girl was completely bundled in coats, to many to be comfortable in Lena’s opinion. 

Once they sat down and Lena had pulled the protective bar over their heads and tucked both her poles and the woman’s under her leg, she took time to really examine the person sitting next to her. Lena glanced at her face. Her cheeks were very rosy from the cold, making her eyes much more blue than they would’ve been otherwise. Her lips were also very pink, and Lena could see she was chewing on her inner cheek. Her eyes were also darting back and forth, all directions really, and her hands were fidgeting on her lap. It was only then that Lena realized her own hand was still on woman’s leg from when she tried to secure her on their way up. She removed her hand immediately and saw the woman physically relax.

“Sorry, I just don’t really...I don’t really like, um, when people touch me.” Her eyes skidded over Lena’s face. “I’m Kara. Kara Danvers. Danvers is the name I got from my family. I’m adopted. But my family is great. My sister Alex, she’s the best. She’s the one who came here with me today.” Kara blurted this at almost a mile a minute, a wide smile never leaving her face. Lena chucked at her cheerfulness. 

“It’s nice to meet you Kara. I’m Lena.” 

“Hi Lena.” Kara gazed at her, and Lena could see her eyes slowly moving across her face. She liked how Kara said her name. It sounded better coming from Kara’s lips. Then Kara jolted suddenly, her whole expression of bliss and concentration on Lena’s features gone in an instant. 

“Oh no. I was supposed to wait for Alex at the lift. I forgot. I forgot about it. And she even made sure I wouldn’t forget but I did it anyway.” Kara’s eyebrows furrowed and she put her hands over her ears and shut her eyes. “Why does this always happen, I can’t even seem to do anything right I always mess up I always do.” 

Lena was distressed. So was Kara evidently, as she was still covering her ears and mumbling to herself. 

“Kara? Kara would you look at me?” Lena’s voice softened, her gaze softened too, looking at Kara more tenderly than she looked at anybody really. “Your sister? Alex? She sounds very nice.” Lena talked slowly, choosing her words carefully. She continued after seeing Kara’s arms relax a little bit. “I’m sure she is waiting for you right this moment, and when she sees you, she’s going to be very happy that you’re back. You’ll be excited to see her too, right? Because she’s a great sister, she could never be angry at you.” Kara lowered her hands from her head and stared at Lena. 

“She’ll be excited to see me?” Kara questioned, her voice cracking a bit at the inquisitive lilt.

“She will. And once we get off this lift, we can make it down the mountain together. And when we get to the bottom, Alex will see you right away. She couldn’t miss you, especially with your lovely blue jacket on.” Lena’s chest lifted as she saw Kara’s face light up again. 

“I went shopping with Alex and she let me buy this jacket all by myself. She helped me choose it. She told me it matches my eyes.” Kara stated this with incredible pride, and Lena felt her chest swell up with what could only be described as pride, too. 

“Well, your sister is right. And you have very nice eyes.” Lena smiled as Kara’s cheeks got a little bit pinker than they were before. Lena tore her eyes away from Kara’s and she noticed the lift nearing the unboarding place. She glanced over at Kara who had noticed the same thing. Lena got the sense that Kara wasn’t particularly ready to get off the chair. 

“Kara, I’ll help you off. Just trust me.” Lena wanted to protect her, to assure Kara that nothing was going to happen to her. She wouldn’t let it. “The lift is going to slow down a bit and I’m going to help you off. I might have to hold you for some of it but I will try to make it as fast as possible. Is that okay?”

Kara nodded. There was still a hint of hesitation in her eyes, but she trusted Lena. Lena helped her the first time, and she would help her again. Kara nodded again, a little bit more certain, so Lena lifted the bar and just hoped neither of them got hurt. She looked over at Kara again. 

“You ready? Okay when we get just a little bit closer, lift your skis up, and push off the chair. I know you can do it.” Lena was trying to be as reassuring as possible, she wanted Kara to be comfortable around her. They got closer, and with incredible strength, Kara managed to push herself far enough away from the lift, and she was still standing. Lena wasn’t far behind her, carrying both of their poles. Kara gained her balance and turned to face Lena, the biggest grin on her face. She just looked so happy. 

“Lena! I did it!.” Kara was filled with a huge surge of confidence. The last thing she wanted was to embarrass herself in front of Lena. Kara didn’t have many friends, and not many people are as nice to her as Lena was on the lift. She already was on the verge of a panic attack on the way up here, so sticking this landing made Kara feel like she could do anything. 

Lena’s face filled with laughter, her nose scrunched up and her eyes almost shut all the way. Kara thought she was very beautiful. 

“Kara! I’m so proud of you. Look at that.” Lena stared at her in admiration and absentmindedly chewed on her lip. Kara was beyond excited.

“Come on! Alex is going to be waiting at the lift with Maggie! We have to get down this mountain to see them. I need to tell them that I did it!” Kara started bounding off, surprisingly getting the hang of the motions. Lena skied up beside her just before she took off.

“Have you skied before, Kara?” Kara didn’t make eye-contact, she was focused on putting her pole straps around her wrist.

“Yes. It just takes me a little while to get used to doing it again.” Kara paused. “I love skiing.” Lena chuckled at Kara. She was so peculiar, it was endearing. Kara looked up at the sound of Lena’s laughter, her expression twisted in confusion.

“Why are you laughing?” Lena shook her head. “No reason, I just love skiing too.” A comfortable silence fell upon them as Kara finished tightening her pole straps. 

“So who’s Maggie?” Kara had mentioned her and Lena was curious. Kara took off down the hill before Lena even processed what was happening. 

“You’ll meet her down there!” Kara shouted behind her. This girl was just one surprise after another, she was so fast. Lena tightened her grip on the pole handles and took off after her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Supercorp meets Sanvers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyeee enter Alex and Maggie. This chapter is a lot shorter than the last one, but I have the next part already written so I'll upload it in a couple of days. It just fits better to do it in parts like this.  
> If you have any questions, suggestions, or jus wanna talk, my tumblr is @luthorcrop and i love all of you for reading this,,  
> Enjoy!

 

“Oh Kara, I was so worried about you.” The woman seemed to be aware of only one presence on the mountain, and it was Kara’s. Lena guessed this was the Alex that she had mentioned. Alex made sure Kara was okay, examining her with furrowed brows and tensed shoulders, and only then did she notice Lena standing next to her. 

Lena was afraid. It was clear that Alex had one priority: Kara. Lena thought back and re examined everything she had done. Did she push Kara into going on the lift? Kara seemed plenty excited to ski, but did she push her into doing anything she didn’t want to? Lena didn't want to ruin what could be the beginning of a friendship before it even started. She kept replaying what had happened, so concentrated on finding where something had gone wrong that she didn't hear Alex’s question. 

“Who are you?” The borderline harsh tone jolted Lena back into a righter state of mind. Lena Luthor is the CEO of a powerful company. This is a woman who has never been taken down by anyone. That is, until she’s been victim of Alex’s stare. Lena’s pretty sure Alex has done some interrogation in her lifetime. Lena sputtered, at a loss for words. Luckily, Kara jumped in before she could say anything to embarrass herself. 

“This is Lena! She helped me on the lift and we skied down here together! Alex, I skied down here all by myself! With Lena! And she calmed me down too. I was worried that you would be angry at me.” Kara looked down at her feet, her hands picking at the loose lint inside her pocket. Alex cocked her head, a loving expression overtook her face.

“Kara I could never be angry at you. I’m just happy you’re okay.” Alex scanned Lena’s face, curious about the woman standing next to her sister. 

“That’s what Lena said too!” Kara exclaimed, overjoyed that Lena had been right. Hopefully she will make a good impression on Alex. Kara really liked skiing with Lena. She just liked being around her. There were just some people who weren’t exhausting to be with. For Kara, people usually talked too loud, or touched her too much, or were too hard to read. It wasn’t their fault, but Kara just got tired around them. With Lena it was different. 

Kara took a moment to glance over at Lena. She looked very small, much smaller than she did when she was right next to Kara on the lift. Just then, Maggie arrived, her snowboard unlatched from one of her feet. She slid up next to Alex, breathing heavily from the run she just made. 

“Hi baby.” Maggie leaned in and kissed Alex. She then looked over at Kara. “Hey little Danvers. How’ve you been?” Kara loved Maggie. She loved her presence, and she loved that Alex had found someone like her. 

“Maggie, I skied down this hill all by myself! Well, Lena helped me too, but I still did it!” Kara beamed. Maggie looked over at Lena, her expression slightly colder as she looked her up and down. Maggie wouldn’t trust just anybody to spend time with Kara. Kara deserved the world, and Maggie was always skeptical of anybody coming too close to her. She didn’t want Kara to get hurt. 

“Good job, little Danvers. I’m glad you had someone to help you.” Maggie glanced at Alex, a questioning look in her eyes. Alex gave a very subtle nod in approval. Maggie understood. They would examine Lena further, but for now, she could be trusted. And it looked like she made Kara very happy. That’s all they both wanted.

“Alex, can I go inside with Lena to get some hot chocolate?” Lena looked surprised. She thought for sure Alex would tell her to get lost right when she brought Kara back. She didn’t expect Kara’s question. Or Alex’s answer, if she’s being completely honest.

“Sure, just be careful. Maggie and I are going to make a few runs. We’ll meet you in an hour? Is that okay?” Kara nodded and glanced at Lena. 

“Come on Lena! This place has the best hot chocolate.” Lena nodded at Alex as if to say she would take care of Kara, and then she and Kara turned and skied down to the lodge. 

* * *

Alex and Maggie were left standing in front of a still empty lift. Alex turned to face Maggie, who was still breathless, with a cold induced tint on her cheeks. It surprised her how in awe of Maggie she was; even after a couple years of being together, Maggie always took her breath away. She looked incredible now. Against the harsh light of the snow on the mountains and the very bright blue sky, Maggie seemed to glow. Not to mention the fact that she snowboarded. She carried that casual, intimidatingly cool aura that drove Alex crazy. She didn’t wear a helmet, only a hat and goggles because apparently she was too cool to get hurt. Her hair was tousled from the wind, and she looked stunning. Maggie leaned in towards Alex’s face and kissed her slowly, at an almost agonizing pace. 

“You’re staring Danvers.” Maggie whispered into Alex’s lips. Alex broke away, but never left Maggie’s eyes.

“Oh, am I?” Alex whispered as Maggie stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Alex’s waist. Alex pulled Maggie in by her jacked for another kiss. 

“Mhm mhm… Do you like what you see?” Maggie ran her hands up and down Alex’s arms and Alex held back a grin. 

“Well there’s not much to see, is there? You’re so tiny!” Alex broke into laughter that only intensified when Maggie slapped her on the helmet with (mostly) feigned annoyance. 

“The audacity! Danvers I’ll have you know I’ve taken down people twice my size.” Maggie jabbed Alex in the stomach and tried to look intimidating, but Alex just laughed some more.

“What was that, Maggie? I couldn’t hear you from all the way down there.” Maggie was furious. She loved the attention though, and Alex loved teasing her. 

“What are you gonna do Maggie? Are you gonna punish me…” Alex smirked suggestively and trailed her hand up Maggie’s arm. Maggie's eyes widened. On only rare occasions had she seen her girlfriend this confident. It was hot. Maggie set her jaw. 

“Is that how you want to play Danvers? Let's make a run. If I win, I can do whatever I want with you. And if you win, well, you can do whatever you want with me.” Maggie's eyes glinted mischievously. 

Alex played along. “You think you've got what it takes to beat me Maggie?” Alex raised her eyebrows, daring her girlfriend to respond. Maggie just set her head a little higher and stood as tall as she could.

“Oh I know I do, sweetheart.” She patted Alex on the cheek and snowboarded down to a more advanced lift. Alex stood there, snowboard in hand, awestricken, and found she had no choice but to follow. She was going to show Maggie what a mistake she had made. Alex was going to win. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Karlena's first date over hot chocolate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had a lot of fun writing this,, but please if you have any problem with it whatsoever give me feedback on how i can fix it in the future !  
> otherwise,, enjoy ???

After placing both sets of skis outside of the lodge, Lena and Kara walked into the warm building. Coming from outside, the lighting was very dark, and it took a while for their eyes to adjust. The entire lodge had a very warm feeling to it. The wood that lined the walls was dark, and the color of the place made everything feel like it was moving in slow motion. Like it was drenched in honey. Lena adored it. She loved the muffled conversation, she loved everybody having a different experience in the same place. She loved secluded corners where she would sometimes sit to observe those around her. The entire place had an incredible feeling of easiness, the absolute opposite of the very harsh office lights she spent every day surrounded by. The lodge felt like another world. 

Kara, however, couldn’t wait to grab a hot chocolate and leave. After her eyes adjusted to the light, she felt her head swim. She willed her eyes to focus on something, but there was so much movement, and it was so fast and it was all over and she just couldn’t stop feeling a terrible imbalance in her own head. The bursts of laughter and sound of ski boots down the hallway echoed in her ears, but she didn’t want to disappoint Lena by telling her she wanted to leave. So Kara stood up a little straighter, and she took a deep breath, and she told herself to ignore it. 

They made their way to a small coffee shop in the back corner of the hallway. The line was very long, which wasn’t surprising considering the fact that it was the most popular place here. They stood together, Lena marveling at the almost palpable smell of coffee surrounding her, and Kara chewing the inside of her lip, trying to focus on one sensation to dull everything else. She picked at the lint inside her sweater pocket again, pulling it and squishing it together to match the rhythm of her breathing. The coffee machines were whirring, and although it didn’t bother Lena, it was all Kara could hear.

Lena didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know how to fill this silence that yet again found its way between them. She hated how awkward she was, and every question she came up with to start talking to Kara again seemed bland and useless. Lena stared at the menu, scanning over the items out of habit. She went over the order in her head. Two hot chocolates and two cinnamon buns. Lena always found a way to trip over her words, no matter how many times she repeated them beforehand. 

Both women were stuck in their own heads, the bustling of the coffee shop all around them, the clink of dishes and the sound of conversation made the world seem like it was spinning. It gave Lena such an odd feeling. She was so happy. Lena hadn’t know happiness, not really, but just standing next to Kara could only be described as blissful. Lena turned to face her, and something inside her broke. Kara was looking downward at the wood floor and mumbling under her breath, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and her breathing a little bit faster than usual. She looked so vulnerable, Lena’s heart swelled. They had only met, but Lena felt a sense of connection to Kara, she felt the incessant urge to see Kara happy, to make sure she was okay no matter what happens.

They were next on line. Lena ordered and stepped to the side, calling Kara to come with her. Kara didn’t move. She didn’t look up, and she didn’t respond. She simply kept mumbling under her breath, and Lena was starting to worry. 

“Kara? Kara, honey what’s going on?” Kara got a little louder, and it became clear to Lena that she was counting. She was counting from one to ten and repeating, and she wouldn’t stop. Lena noticed this was similar to what happened on the lift, she just needed to calm Kara down. 

“Kara, I know it’s very loud in here, but I want to try to focus.” Lena had managed to guide Kara away from the next people ordering, but she just needed Kara to listen to her voice. “Focus on my breathing. I want you to match it, and when you focus, we’re going to get you outside.” Lena took very deep breaths, making sure that Kara heard her and that Kara was listening. She had stopped counting, and was now tuning into Lena’s voice until it became sharp enough that everything else around her grew more quiet. 

“Let’s walk towards the doors. Once you’re outside, there won’t be any of this noise surrounding you, just focus on me. Focus on my voice.” Lena continued to guide Kara down the hallway, very slowly, but they managed. Lena had to try very hard not to put her arm around Kara’s waist, knowing that it made her uncomfortable. . She wanted Kara to feel comfortable. “The sky is so blue today, isn’t it? And the air is so crisp. Just imagine how it will feel once we step out.” Lena’s voice was low, almost at a whisper, but they were close enough that Kara could hear her without straining. 

Kara’s legs were heavy with the ski boots, each step was labored, the air almost sickening, but she finally made it outside, and it was like someone had just taken cotton balls out of her ears. Everything was much clearer, and Lena could tell. She scolded herself for not noticing Kara’s discomfort sooner, she just needed to remember to be more aware. She was too wrapped up in her own thoughts. 

They moved farther away from the lodge door, and Kara sat down in a pile of snow against the wall of the building. She let her shoulders fall, and for the first time since the two had walked into the lodge, it looked like Kara was breathing. Lena asked her if she would be okay for a few minutes while she picked up their hot chocolates. Kara had calmed down considerably, the slow but consistent movement of the clouds the focus of her attention, and she nodded. So Lena took one last look at Kara’s form against the snow, and walked inside. 

* * *

Their hot chocolates were almost empty, the whipped cream left at the bottom of their cups, and their cinnamon rolls gone. Lena’s chest was filled with warmth, something she had never really experienced before meeting Kara. Their legs were a bit cold from sitting in the snow for so long, but they hardly noticed. Kara wasn’t one for talking much, unless she felt very comfortable with the people she was with. Kara felt very comfortable around Lena. She found that the woman was very quiet herself, not one for meaningless conversation unless it was necessary. But Lena felt like she could tell Kara anything without judgement. 

They were quite a sight if anyone new anything about them. Both women leaning against the dark stone wall of the lodge, staring up at a sliver of blue sky framed by dark trees, sipping hot chocolate and for once, the silence between them was comfortable.

Kara talked about her family. How Alex would do anything for her, and so would Maggie. She talked about Alex’s coming out to her and to their mom. Kara didn’t have any objection to Alex’s sexuality, she didn’t have any judgement at all really, and it was partly because Kara hadn’t really had feelings for anybody. Kara had no preconceived notion about Alex’s love life because she didn’t have any personal experiences to reflect on. She talked about how loving the Danvers were when she first moved in with them. She talked about her mother and father’s deaths, and how she was never the same after it happened. She still had nightmares of the fire sometimes. She could even feel the heat on her skin. The images were warped in Kara’s mind, she found it hard to remember what actually happened that night. 

Lena could tell that it upset Kara, who was digging her nails into the cup in her hand while talking, so Lena changed the subject. Lena talked about how she was adopted too, and Kara’s whole face brightened. She sat up a bit from her slouch and she grinned. Lena cocked her head at the woman next to her in confusion. 

“I’ve just never really talked to someone that understood me this well…” Kara trailed off, she was always hesitant when expressing her feelings out loud. She usually just lived inside her head, and saying things like, hearing her own voice, made her heart race, made her fingers so electric that she couldn’t keep them still. Kara let the silence sit between them, not knowing how to continue the conversation. She didn’t know how Lena would react, and she was afraid to look away from her hands to see Lena’s expression. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to read it. 

But Lena gazed at her, taking all of Kara in. Her eyes were downcast, eyelashes fluttering as she blinked. She was chewing on her bottom lip, and her fingers were intertwined, Lena could hear her breathing, soft against the almost void-like silence. The mountains were swallowing the sound around them, it felt like they were the only two people in the world. 

Kara looked up and found Lena’s eyes waiting for her. They were so green. Or blue? They were really almost clear in the light from the snow. Her cheeks were very pink against light skin, and she was smiling. Lena was smiling, and it was genuine, not the fake, mandatory smiles she gave business partners that were no teeth and no feeling. No, this was real. It took up her whole face and her nose scrunched up and she just kept staring at Kara like she was the only thing that made sense. That everything she had gone through was to prepare her for this moment, sitting here next to possibly the loveliest person she had ever met, sharing hot chocolate against the wall of a ski lodge. 

Lena often wondered if her life was worth anything at all. She often thought of how much easier it would be if she didn’t have to get up in the morning, if she didn’t have to live. But sitting here, this was the reason. Sitting next to Kara made her happier than she had been since Lex. 

Kara didn’t break eye contact. It surprised her, but Lena’s eyes didn’t make her nervous the way other people’s eye contact did.  

“Are you laughing at me?” Kara couldn’t place the kind of smile Lena was giving her, and it scared her. Did Lena think she was foolish? What if she ruined what they had by being her foolish self? Kara would never forgive herself for driving Lena away. She had already accepted the response that was to come out of Lena’s mouth, so Kara ducked her head and prepared to be left alone.

“I’ve never met anybody who understands me as well as you do, Kara.” Lena was surprised at her own honesty, but seeing Kara’s head perk up made any doubts she had vanish.

She continued.

“I know we’ve really only been talking for an hour, but I love listening to you. To your stories. It just reminds me of the fact that everybody has one. A story, I mean. Everybody has their own life with conflicts as intricate as I think mine are, and it’s refreshing.” Lena looked down in embarrassment for a moment. “Many people don’t care to talk to me once they realize who I am. My brother has done unspeakable things, and that’s all they see when they look at me.”

A sympathetic look crossed Kara’s face, but only for a fleeting moment before determination set in. 

“You are not your brother. You are not your family. And from what I’ve seen you are too good, and too smart to even come  _ close  _ to following in their footsteps.” 

Lena’s heart melted. It was the first time anybody had seen past the terrible assumptions given to her, and she didn’t realize how much she needed somebody to accept her.

They gazed at each other for a little while longer, never once feeling the need to break the silence. The faint scratching of skis against ice echoed around the mountain. The rabbits scurried between the trees. 

The ravens were dark against the bright blue sky, and Lena Luthor was happy. 

The ravens cried loudly in the still air, and Kara Danvers was happy alongside her.

  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys sorry for such a late update. This chapter is a bit longer than the rest, and I hope you like it. There will be a lot more cohesion in the chapters to come. The next update will be on sunday so stay tuned!  
> I love you, bye.

Alex and Maggie were but two figures in the empty hotel hallway. Shoulder to shoulder, fingers intertwined, their silhouettes crept farther into the distance. The hallway was narrow and dimly lit. The carpeted floor was dark grey, and the walls were beige and a little bit dirty, although it was hard to tell. The two women were side by side, stepping in sync without a care in the world.

“This is my room, Maggie.” Alex stopped them both and leaned against the wall right next to her door. Maggie didn’t let go of her hand. Instead, she grabbed both of them, now facing Alex, and swung them back and forth between them. Maggie tilted her head, they locked eyes.

“I know that Danvers.”  Alex was still leaning against the wall, silently inviting Maggie to continue. Neither of them said a word, and time seemed to stop. Maggie was frozen, gazing at Alex in pure adoration, not wanting to say goodnight to this amazing woman just yet. She knew they had booked rooms across the hall from each other, but she didn’t want to sleep by herself tonight. She had rarely had to since they started living together, and the thought of a bed without Alex in it scared her. Maggie had spent too many nights alone.

“I was thinking…” Maggie continued to sway their hands back and forth. “Maybe you could stay in my room tonight?” Maggie raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer. Alex dropped Maggie’s hands and pulled her closer in an embrace. They rocked back and forth in each other’s arms for a little while, breathing, hearts beating. 

It was a strange sight if you didn’t know just how in love they were. But if you knew… If you knew how incomplete Alex felt before she met Maggie. If you knew how many nights she had stayed up drinking, crying, hoping her feelings proved to be untrue. If you knew how painful it was to admit to herself that she was gay. If you knew how Maggie held her when she found out. If you knew how she kissed her when words could no longer convey the raw emotion that begged to burst out of their chests. If you could wrap your head around the extent of this raw emotion, well then, you know that standing in this hotel hallway was completely irrelevant. The only thing that mattered is that they were together. The only thing that mattered is that they were in each other’s arms, and that they would never let go. 

“I wish I could babe, but I think I should stay with Kara tonight. I don’t want her to be alone in a new place, and I should be there just in case she needs anything.” Alex’s eyebrows curved upward apologetically, hoping Maggie was going to be okay on her own. Maggie’s face fell at Alex’s answer, but she understood. They were right across from each other, and they will spend the entire day together tomorrow.

Maggie knew that she would be just fine by herself, but she couldn’t help the pain in her chest at the thought of waking up without Alex’s arm around her waist. 

“Of course, of course.” Maggie smiled and nodded her head, leaning up to kiss Alex goodnight. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow baby.” Maggie turned to her door and pulled the key card out of her pocket. Alex smiled, almost frozen in place by her overwhelming love for this woman. Everything she did is just enchanting. From the way she rotated the key card with one hand while pushing her hair back with the other to the way she turned to look at Alex before stepping into the dark hotel room, Alex was hypnotized completely. 

“I love you.” Alex just wanted her to know before they parted for the night, but the door closed and she wasn’t sure if Maggie heard. She sighed, then unlocked her own door and stepped inside.

* * *

“Kara!” Alex was expecting the room empty. Kara had texted her that she was going to spend some time down at the pool. But she was here, drying her hair while humming to herself. Kara turned quickly when she heard Alex call her name.

“Hi Alex!” She quickly threw the towel down and shuddered. “Ugh, I hate dry towels.” She took a deep breath in and took the time to look at Alex, who still hadn’t moved from the door frame. 

“How was your dinner with Maggie?” Kara walked around the beds, fixing the corners of the sheets while Alex talked.

“It was wonderful, as usual.” Alex relaxed a bit as her mind wandered to what an amazing night the two had and she smiled. Throwing her jacket to a corner in the room and hanging up her keys, Alex had zoned out a bit, lost in mindless tasks. She was only brought back at the sound of Kara jumping on the bed. Actually jumping. The sound startled Alex, but she just had to laugh at the sight.

“You seem to be in a good mood this fine evening…” Alex plopped down on her own bed and stared at the ceiling, listening to the rhythmic sounds of the bed springs.

“I am! I am in such a good mood.” Kara was smiling so hard, literally not able to contain her excitement as she bounced up and down, wet hair flying all directions. 

“I went to the pool–the indoor one because it was already dark outside, and I don’t really like the dark– and there was nobody there! I guess everybody was still skiing… But anyway, I went into the pool and I just swam around by myself. It’s so quiet underwater! It’s the best.” Kara got a bit carried away, recalling the blissful sensation of being surrounded by complete lack of sound. Underwater, she was in her own world, and it felt safe. Kara loved it.

“I was having the best time Alex, but you’ll never believed what happened next.” Kara had been too captivated by her own jumping that she didn’t notice just how tired and out of breath she had become. She landed on her bed in one final creak, and stared at the ceiling, waiting for her breath to return.

It was quite a sight. The Danvers sisters, inseparable forces, Alex in dark clothes and Kara in light, both lying on the white linen sheets of the clean, symmetrical hotel room. It almost didn’t feel real. 

“So I was floating on my back, and it was all very quiet, except for the light little splashes of the water against the sides of the pool. And it wasn’t too bright and everything was perfect. But it got more perfect! I heard the door open and there she was.” Kara let out a sigh at the memory. “It was Lena! And she just so happened to be at the pool the same time I was!”

Kara turned on her side to look at Alex, who was already gazing at her in unabashed joy. 

She otherwise would have taken some time to place Alex’s expression, but Kara was too wrapped up in her story. Alex found it incredibly endearing; only Kara could make her feel like no time had passed between them. It felt the same as when they would talk for hours into the night, long after their parents were asleep. It made Alex feel alive. 

“Lena was so surprised to see me. And I was surprised to see her too, of course. And she just looked so pretty Alex.” Kara’s face scrunched up, as if trying to retain every bit of detail to store in her mind. “Her hair was down and it was dark and wavy, and she was wearing this long black dress and she was holding a towel and she just looked so beautiful.” Kara rolled around on her bed, her delight was inconcealable. 

“Look how lucky Eliza got. She ended up with not  _ one _ gay daughter, but two!” Alex laughed to herself and sat up, mumbling that she was going to take a shower. She ambled off into the bathroom, and Kara heard the water start to run.

She was still sprawled out on the sheets, and a comfortable feeling of warmth spread throughout her body as she looked back on the day she had. Only now did Kara realized just how tired she was. Her limbs were heaving, and seemed to sink into the mattress. She found her eyes closing slowly and her mind going numb. The rise and fall of her chest was silent, and the entire room was silent and still aside from the muffled sound of water on tile. It was warm, and nice, and cozy, and for the first time in a very long time, Kara felt absolutely at rest.

 

* * *

It didn’t last. Kara jolted up in sweat. She was cold, breathing heavily, and everything felt like too much. The blanket Alex had put on top of her was too itchy, too hot, too suffocating and Kara couldn’t breathe. She felt constricted as she threw the blanket off. Everywhere she looked she could see it. She could feel it on her skin. The fire was behind her eyes, long after it had been put out. She remembered the screams; she remembered her father asleep in bed the night before it happened; she remembered her aunt, knee injury very much present, doing everything she could to usher Kara out when she couldn’t save herself. 

The realization that it was just a dream both relieved her and crushed her very insides. No matter how many times it seemed like Kara was getting better, she was ripped out of her world all over again. Everything she knew, everybody she loved, had been destroyed, and there was nothing she could do. The memories would hit her, and she felt an overwhelming sense of defeat. Her entire body felt like it weighed too much. Her head was too heavy, and she was overcome with an exhaustion that sleep alone couldn’t fix. She curled up, knees to her head, and Kara sobbed. The tears were hot against her skin, and she didn’t try to stop. She wept for her family. She wept for her sister and she wept for Maggie and she wept for Eliza and she wept for the life she could have lived. The tears were so hot and they didn’t stop. They didn’t want to stop, and they didn’t stop until they did. Kara felt drained, like the shell of the person she could be, the shell of the person she pretends to be. 

Kara lied her head down on the pillow, which was cold from lack of use. It felt good against her cheek, and concentration on the sensation slowed her breathing, the rhythmic in and out that pressed her chest against the mattress. The noise in her head was quieter now, and she could hear Alex’s soft breathing in the bed next to hers. Kara gazed at her. She was so beautiful without the often occurring crease in her brow. Alex looked like a child, and Kara was reminded of when she was first adopted. She didn’t know where she’d be without Alex. Well, she knew, but she’d rather not think of it. Without Alex, Kara would be lost. Utterly, and truly lost. 

Alex loved her, and Alex would always love her, and this was the only thought that echoed through her mind as Kara fell asleep for the second time that night. 

* * *

Lena couldn’t sleep. But it wasn’t at all uncommon. Lena often had trouble settling her mind at night. Her job was stressful, and she was constantly plagued by self doubt. She always wondered if she was doing the right thing, if she was leading her company in the right direction. But tonight, she found thoughts of a different nature keeping her awake. 

Kara. Kara was all Lena had thought about since they departed at the pool earlier, and she wouldn’t get out of her head. Not that Lena wanted her too. There was just something about her that seemed to draw them together. Kara’s eyes were just so blue, and her smile took up her whole face in an innocence that Lena wished she still possessed. Lena couldn’t help but imagine Kara right here next to her. She certainly wouldn’t feel so alone if Kara was by her side. Lena felt like she could be herself in front of the other woman, and it was refreshing. She didn’t feel the constraint of incessant judgment that was usually present in everybody she met. With Kara, it was honest, it was enjoyable, and Lena was certain that anything she did from this moment on would be better if Kara was with her.

Lena was in deep. She cursed herself for such quick and intense admiration that she developed for anybody who could was in any way affectionate towards her. She was surprised how she had even made it this far without giving up on love completely. Lena was someone who not only needed to be tolerated, but needed to know that she was desired. She needed to know that people wanted her around, because otherwise, she fell into an inescapable hole of crippling insecurity. It was a terrible combination really. She could tell she had feelings for Kara, and she was certain they would never be reciprocated. So here she was, lying awake far into the night, thinking about someone she could never have. Not in the way Kara wanted anyway. It’s possible that they would be best as friends. Lena was lacking support in every aspect of her life, and Kara made her feel worthwhile. It wasn’t something that many people had done. Lena liked it.

She counted her breaths and let her mind wander, until finally, Lena’s eyes shut on the world.

* * *

Maggie was cold. There were plenty of blankets but it wasn’t enough. The room was too quiet, the occasional wind made the windows rattle and Maggie was cold. The blankets were pulled tightly around her shoulders, but it wasn’t the same. She missed Alex. Maggie could admit that. She missed just having her here. She missed the way Alex felt against her body, she missed the way their breathing rose and fell at the same time, she missed the way Alex drew circles on her stomach. She missed Alex’s smell, she missed the way the mattress sank a little more when it was their combined weight that sank it. 

She was reminded of the small, cold room in her aunt’s house. It was the guest room that Maggie ended up living in for four years of her life. Her mattress was on the floor in a corner, gathering dust. The window was small, and placed very high on the wall, letting in little light. The walls were unfinished, paint cracking and falling to the floor in clusters. Maggie managed to paint one wall before she realized that there wasn’t a point. There wasn’t a point to making this sorry excuse for a room because it wasn’t hers. Not really. Sure she slept here. Yes she spent most of her time here, but it was constricting. With very little belongings, Maggie didn’t feel like she fit anywhere. She had no friends, no family, and she was just beginning a lifelong journey of self acceptance. It was a hard time. And she felt thrust back into that reality. Cold air filling her lungs and her hair spread out onto the cold pillow was all too familiar of a sensation, and Maggie needed her girlfriend. 

She wondered if Alex felt the same way. She wondered if Alex felt as incomplete in this instant as she did. And this is the only thought that echoed in her mind as she sank into a not so blissful descent into the unconscious. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mhmmhmhm mon el beatdown here we come,  
> hmu at tumblr @luthorcrop

 

Brushing her teeth was one of Kara’s favorite things to do. Yes, it was strange, but she had a good reason. She enjoyed being focused on the image of cleaning each tooth, scrubbing every inch of possible grime. When she was younger, Kara would spend minutes on end just brushing her teeth very slowly, watching the foam build up in her mouth. So naturally, brushing her teeth is exactly what Kara would be doing right after she got up.

Kara was definitely more of a morning person. She felt strange lying awake in bed after the sun came up without something to do. 

Alex however, had not left the nest of blankets she had subconsciously created for herself as she slept. She grumbled as Kara opened the very thick hotel curtains. The light streamed into Alex’s face, too bright to shut her eyes on.

“Come on Alex! If we get out early there will be less people on the mountain!” Kara left Alex to wake up on her own accord, then walked over to her suitcase and pulled out some clothing to wear to breakfast. She hated to see her clothing in unfolded piles, so after choosing what she was going to wear, Kara began to refold the many, many DC t-shirts she had brought along on the trip. Three consecutive raps at the door made Kara turn from her suitcase. She heard Maggie’s voice.

“Hey little Danvers, mind opening up?” Kara grinned. Alex wasn’t the only one who loved spending time with Maggie. Kara jogged over to the door, stepping over Alex’s clothing that was strewn about the carpeted floor. 

Kara grasped the latch of the door, smooth and cold metal greeted her fingertips as she opened it. Kara always seemed to forget how short Maggie was. It was probably her intimidating aura that made Kara think she was taller, but Kara found herself looking down to meet Maggie’s eyes.

“How’d you know I would open the door?” Kara stepped aside to let Maggie enter the bright hotel room.

“I’m a detective, Danvers. I detect.” Maggie glanced at Kara with a smirk, trying to be as cryptic as possible, but Kara laughed. 

“Maggie, you’re too small to scare me.” Kara shut the door and closed both locks as Maggie leaned against the bathroom door with her lips set in a feigned pout.

“How is it that I graduated the top of my class, am lead detective in the National City science department,  _ and  _ all of my colleagues are afraid of me, yet the Danvers sisters make me feel so insignificantly small?” Maggie, furrowed her brows in faux disappointment, and Kara laughed again.

“Oh Maggie, you know you’re the best in my eyes. And even better in my sisters.” Kara’s face was a bit more serious, but immediately sprung up when Alex came to mind.

“Speaking of my sister, she’s still asleep!” Kara walked over to Alex’s bed.

“Why did you decide to date somebody so lazy, huh Maggie?” 

“Hmm, well we all know I don’t date her for her brain…” Maggie’s attempt at a joke flew right over Kara’s head, and Maggie just had to laugh. 

“Alex is so smart, Maggie.” Kara as she was still trying to wake Alex. She slept like she was dead.

Maggie beckoned Kara over to her, standing like she wanted to tell her something. Kara glaced at Maggie’s face and decided to slink quietly towards her. 

“Kara… Get me some water, will you?” Maggie whispered dramatically as if it was the most important thing Kara would ever hear. She nodded, and hopped over to the bathroom to get Maggie a cup. 

Maggie heard the water running, and she gazed at Alex, cocooned in the white down blankets that seemed common at every hotel. Alex only allowed herself to look this soft around a few people, the likes of which were standing in this room. It made Maggie feel special, knowing that Alex trusted her enough to let her guard down around her. Alex didn’t give many people the same treatment. Neither did Maggie, as a matter of fact. Maybe that’s why they worked so well together. They understood each other in ways that nobody else did, not even Kara. 

Speaking of Kara, she was back with the water.

“What are you going to do?” Kara whispered, hunched over a bit so she was level with Maggie’s head.

“We,” Maggie started over towards Alex’s bed. “We are going to wake up my beautiful girlfriend here the same way my asshole college roommates used to wake  _ me _ up.” Alex stirred at the noise of the two women talking, now sitting on the bed, Maggie almost flush against her body. 

“Alex, this is for you leaving me alone last night.” Maggie was joking, mostly. She was actually trying to get a laugh out of Kara, just because everybody needed more of Kara’s laughter in their lives. 

Kara knew what was coming, she just didn’t  _ know. _ She held back giggles as Maggie lifted the cup over Alex’s face. 

The deed was done. The water was sliding down Alex’s face, and at first she didn’t realized what was happening, but when she did… Her eyes shot open and she scrambled to a sitting position. Maggie cackled and Kara just stared, wide-eyed, almost as confused as Alex.

But Maggie, Maggie was having a blast, laughing with her entire body at her girlfriend’s expression. Alex looked like a grumpy, wet kitten. She had accepted her fate, and was wiping the water off her face with exaggerated aggression.

“I’m gonna get you back for this, Sawyer.” Alex grumbled and got out of bed, there was still sleep in her gait, but she was awake. Maggie had made sure of that. 

Alex stomped to the bathroom, feet hitting the cold tiles and she jumped a bit.

“You could never be mad at me babe!” Maggie called out, her laughter still dying down.

The shower started running, along with Alex’s cry of, “Just watch me Sawyer!”

Maggie sighed in content and stole a glance at Kara, who hadn't moved from Alex's bed. She was still a little stunned, but Maggie thought it was funny, so Kara let out a little laugh. 

“Sorry little Danvers, I thought that'd get you laughing more.” Maggie gave Kara a softer smile, and Kara smiled back. 

“I'm going to finish getting dressed.” Kara rose from her place next to Maggie and walked back over to her suitcase. 

“Maggie I have a very important question to ask you.” Kara stood pensively, hands on her hips, as she looked between two t-shirts that she had taken out.

“Shoot.” Maggie absent mindedly scrolled through her tumblr feed. She was laying on the bed fully now, pink socks on her crossed feet, a big contrast to the black skinny jeans and black Metallica shirt she put on this morning. Her body in the exact place Alex had been sleeping just moments ago. 

“Should I wear the Oliver Queen shirt to breakfast, or the Supergirl one?” Maggie glanced up at Kara’s voice, and chuckled at her question.

“The Supergirl one, Kara. Hands down.” Kara grinned. She was going to choose the Supergirl one too, but Maggie’s approval made it that much better. There was just something about that symbol, the House of El, that drew Kara to the character. She couldn’t really explain it. Supergirl and the White Canary were her favorites, and Flash came in as a close second. 

Kara turned to make sure Maggie wasn’t looking, and then slipped her pyjama shirt off and tugged the Supergirl one on. The cotton fabric felt good on her skin, soft, and cold from lack of use. Kara slipped some sweatpants on, then knelt down to close her suitcase. She fumbled with the zipper a few times, but eventually got it shut.

Just then, Alex stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in nothing but a white towel. Her hair dripped down her back, falling in curls that framed her face. Maggie raised her head at Alex’s footsteps. Their eyes met, Alex smirked, Maggie blushed, and Kara noticed. She glanced at Alex, she glanced at Maggie, and she decided that she should leave them alone. 

“I’m going to go downstairs and get some pancakes before they’re all gone!” Kara grabbed her converse, grabbed her key card, and bolted out the door. 

It slammed behind her, but neither Alex nor Maggie flinched at the sound. Alex continued advancing towards the bed, slowly and quietly, as if in a trance. Maggie didn’t break eye contact, she hardly even moved. It often happened this way; time seemed to be frozen around them, like everything was moving through water. It was hypnotizing, it was mesmerizing. It was quiet, but deafeningly so. 

“I missed you last night, Danvers.” Maggie sat up, her legs hanging off the side of the bed, pink socks not quite touching the floor. She set her phone down beside her, and continued to watch Alex as the other woman walked towards her. 

“I missed you too, Sawyer.” Alex was now standing in front of Maggie, the sunlight still streaming through the window, painting the room in golden light. Maggie was staring up at Alex as if she were a god. Silence sat in the air, the now visible dust particles drawing attention to the space between them. There was simply too much of it. Too much space. Alex took one hand and touched Maggie’s cheek, cautiously, as if she would break in her grasp. 

The anticipation sat in their throats, it sat in their stomachs, it sat in the pulse in their fingertips. Maggie’s breathing was uneven, fueled by a certain type of electricity in her veins that made her entire body yearn for one thing and one thing only. 

“Hi.” Alex whispered. She trailed her fingers over Maggie’s face, across her cheeks, over her lips. She felt Maggie gasp softly against her fingertips, and that was all she could take. They knew what was about to happen, and it lingered between them, the tension in the air almost palpable.

Everything in Maggie’s body was screaming.  _ Kiss me, kiss me,  _ it said. It was the look in her eyes, a look of desperation. Alex knew. 

The towel dropped. Their lips met. And it still felt like the first time. 

* * *

 

Kara stood on line at the buffet, a bit awkwardly, to say the least, but that was to be expected. She never knew where to look in places like these, never knew how to stand, where to stand, how to respond to people who happened to smile in her direction. For a moment, she longed for Alex, but Alex needed some time with her girlfriend. Kara could understand that. 

Kara also wanted to prove to herself that she could handle the buffet on her own. So far, everything was going great. She had gotten a plate without any trouble, and she had found the pancakes. They were steaming on her plate, stacked in a very impressive pile. One might not believe she could fit all that food inside her, but one who believed such things did not know Kara very well at all. 

She balanced some syrup, some fruit, a huge glass of orange juice, and her stack of pancakes as she made her way to a booth in the corner of the seating area. The room was large, with high ceilings. The clatter of silverware against plates and the bustling noise of conversation echoed off the walls; the likes of which were covered in light pink wallpaper with floral designs. Kara liked it here, and surprisingly, not just because of the food. 

Kara slid into the booth. The soft brown leather was cracking a bit, and it felt cool against Kara’s skin. She set her plate down and leaned back, letting her head rest and her eyes close slightly. Kara enjoyed comfortable solitude. She unconsciously picked at the polished wooden table, basking in the silence in her own mind before eating. 

She was interrupted, quite rudely in fact, by a man who used too much hair gel and smelled like axe deodorant. He slid in next to Kara without any warning, and he was too close. His scent was everywhere, filling Kara’s nose, and he was too close. 

“I hope you don’t mind if I sit here.” He adjusted his position, completely oblivious to Kara’s discomfort. She minded. She minded a lot.

“I just hate to see someone so pretty sitting alone. I decided I’d give you some company.” Kara’s eyes lit up with something only a bit milder than white hot rage. His jeans were now touching Kara’s sweatpants, and she could feel his body heat against her leg. Her stomach lurched, and she found she could hardly speak. Her mouth didn’t seem to be able to move to tell his entitled ass to get out of her booth and never speak to her again. But she couldn’t. He went on.

“I’m Mike. I saw you yesterday at the pool. I was in the gym when you walked past. You probably noticed me.” He reached out his hand for Kara to shake, eyes seeing only what he wanted to see. He saw a girl that he could take advantage of without any repercussions. He saw a damsel in distress, he saw someone too weak to take care of herself, who needed a man around. However, if Kara could get a word out, she would tell him that the only person she needs protecting  _ from _ is men like him. Disgusting, entitled ass white, rich, straight boys who have everything at their fingertips, have always had everything at their fingertips. So they treat women the same way, as simply something that they have the ability to win, the ability to conquer, to own.

His hand was still out, but Kara did not move a muscle. She had regained herself, commanded her senses to cooperate. She met his eyes with a defiant stare.

“Hard to get, I see.” Mike lowered his hand and shrugged, still very much taking up Kara’s personal space. “You’ll come around. They always do.” He then proceeded to do the unthinkable. He reached his arm in front of Kara’s face and took a pancake. An entire pancake. And he ate it. Right in front of her. Without asking. 

“Mhm… Chocolate chip. Good choice.” He was still chewing, a smug look on his stupid face. Kara felt helpless. What could she do? He had pushed himself against her and everything in Kara felt too tight. Too constricted, like a spring that was eventually going to unravel. When? She didn’t know.

Lena had walked in, eyes scanning the room in search for a seat when she spotted Kara. Lena’s heart rate picked up speed, and she she started towards her table. She got closer, and realized there was someone sitting with Kara. Someone she hadn’t met before. She got even closer, and Kara’s demeanor was much different than the tiems Lena had spent with her. There was a crinkle between her eyebrows, and her cheeks were tinted pink. But she wasn’t blushing, her face was pink with anger. Lena’s heart picked up the pace, but for a different reason this time. Kara looked very uncomfortable, beyond uncomfortable, and whoever was causing her to feel that way would pay. She walked with purpose now, walked with power, walked the same way as she walked through the floors of her office building. Lena Luthor is not somebody that you would want to mess with. 

Mike continued to get closer to Kara, and something inside her broke. She found herself leaning back, and before she could even process what she was doing, her fist collided with Mike’s jaw. The force of the punch knocked him back, he was teetering on the edge of the booth and Kara could hardly believe what she had just done. Lena saw all of this, and she stopped in her tracks, mouth wide open. Kara’s own eyes were wide in astonishment, her hands covering her mouth as Mike recovered from the blow. He scrambled, trying to get a better grasp on the table, but he ended up falling to the floor. 

His eyes were wild, hair tousled, his jaw was red where Kara had punched him and his lip was split. 

He started to stand, sputtering, completely caught off guard by Kara’s reaction.

“You’re crazy!” He regained his footing and hunched his shoulders, as if preparing to give Kara a lecture about all that she had done wrong. Just then, Lena showed up, pushing Mike out of the way to take a look at Kara, to make sure she was okay. 

Mike scoffed. “Of  _ course _ . You’re a bunch of dykes.  _ That’s  _ why you weren’t into me. It all makes sense.” He started to laugh, almost maniacally, and Lena turned around to face him, all the fury of a gay atomic bomb blazing in her expression. She spoke slowly, every word chosen in a way that would make this sorry excuse of a man standing in front of her understand exactly what she was saying.

“The reason,” Lena accentuated each word with a step in his direction. “The reason that this wonderful woman behind me isn’t into you is because, from what I witnessed in less than five minutes, you are an entitled piece of shit that isn’t deserving of anybody. You have no respect for others, you don’t know how to take no for an answer, you don’t listen and you don’t  _ care _ about what anybody thinks unless it directly impacts you. You look like a rich daddy’s boy who has never been denied anything in your life, so let me teach you a lesson here and deny you this one thing. If you so much as  _ look _ at this strong, beautiful, talented,  _ smart  _ young woman the wrong way, I will put you in a fucking hospital bed. Now get the hell out of my face, or I’ll make you.” 

Lena was fuming. How could anybody hurt Kara? How could anybody have the stomach for it? Lena could never understand. Mike stood up tall, looked Lena directly in the face, and had the nerve to do anything but turn and walk after what she had told him. 

“You’ll  regret this,” He spat at Lena, and had the audacity to continue. “You  _ will _ regret this you crazy bi–” He didn’t get a chance to finish. Lena’s fist knocked him in the nose, and it was lights out for Mike. 

Lena turned towards Kara once more, who was having a breakdown. For good reason, clearly. She was folded up in the corner of the booth, knees to her chest, rocking back and forth. Lena advanced very slowly.

“Kara honey, you’re okay. It’s okay nobody is going to bother you. Nobody is ever going to hurt you again.” Lena stood at the edge of the booth, waiting for Kara to come out on her own time. “Kara darling, just breathe. Breathe real slowly. I’m going to go get Alex. I’m going to go get your sister.” It killed Lena to walk away, to leave Kara like this, but she needed her sister. Lena just hoped that one day, Kara would need her just as much. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. This was more of a filler chapter to clear up some plot things before what I actually want to get to. I know it's not as good as some of the other stuff I've done, but bear with me folks I am so tired lmao. oKAY enjoy!!  
> and prepare for the first ever game night in this au on sunday ;)) it's gonna be cool.

Dried tears on Kara’s cheeks had become an all too familiar feeling. 

 

Lena ran up to Kara’s room, chest heaving, knocking a bit too hard on the door in her adrenaline filled state. It took a while for Alex to run up and swing the door open, as she was not yet done dressing, but as soon as she did, she was bombarded with a rambling Lena. Anyone could see that Lena was afraid; you could see it in her eyes, her body language. Her arms and back were tensed, hands folded and fidgeting right in front of her stomach, her eyebrows arched up and head tilted slightly to the side. 

Alex certainly did not expect Lena, of all people, to show up at her door. She expected her current frazzled state even less. Lena was talking a mile a minute, Alex could hardly make out the words. 

“Lena, slow down. Slow down.” Alex stepped aside to let her in but Lena declined. What she had to say was too important.

“Alex, something has happened with your sister. You need to come down to the buffet. I’m really sorry to disturb you but–” Lena paused. She looked beyond Alex’s shoulder and saw Maggie, her legs bare, buttoning up a t-shirt that looked much too big for her. Lena glanced between the two for a moment, then realized what she had just interrupted. She turned red, even darker than the color of her coat.

Alex willed her to ignore her very apparent embarrassment. She needed to find out what happened to Kara.

“Lena, hey, focus. You said the buffet?” Alex didn’t hesitate, she grabbed her shoes and shouted into the room before the door closed, letting Maggie know that she would be back in just a moment. The door slammed behind Alex as she took off running to the stairwell, slipping her shoes on as she went, Lena hot on her trail. 

They made it downstairs. It must’ve been less than three minutes since Lena had gone up to get Alex. Kara was in the same state as she had been when Lena left her, and seeing her so upset broke Lena’s heart. Alex slid into the booth, careful not to get too close to her sister.

“Kara, it’s me. It’s Alex.” Lena stood back and watched their interaction. A pang went through her heart and she couldn’t help but think about Lex. Lena wasn’t the most popular kid in school, believe it or not. In fact, she went through what some might call a goth phase. She was an outcast, an outcast attending a very prestigious private school. There were rich kids with rich parents who wanted no association with the fuck-up that Lena appeared to be.

She remembered days where she’d come home with bruises peppering her sides, her ribs, her back, her arms. Lillian was always working, and so was Lionel. The only person who had been there for Lena was her brother. What he did was inexcusable, he was in jail and Lena didn’t regret it. But she missed him. She missed him a lot. So she could not help the pang that shot through her heart, because she had been in Kara’s position. Hell, she sometimes felt like she was still in that position. But Lena no longer had family, not family like Alex. So although she missed him dearly, Lena hated Lex for the pain he had caused her, she hated him with a passion. 

Kara’s head was buzzing, light flashing behind her eyes, her heart rate hadn’t slowed down very much since the collision of face and fist, and she could hear it pounding in her ears. Alex’s voice was soft, a little bit raspy, and the familiarity of it helped Kara not feel so lost within her own head.

“Kara, can I take you upstairs?” She nodded, but had a hard time unfolding herself from the position she was in. The protection that her body gave her was not something Kara wanted to leave so quickly. 

“It will be much quieter up there. Come with me.” Alex stepped out of the booth to give Kara some space. She moved slowly, her body still in shock from what had just happened with Mike, but Kara made it out.

Alex stepped towards Lena, thanking her with a small smile, telling her that she did the right thing. Lena was still in shock as well, the scene of the fight still echoing in her mind, but she found it hard to make out the details. It was just one big blur. She nodded in response to Alex’s surprisingly tender gesture, and then decided that she should give Kara some time to recover. 

Lena walked off, staring straight ahead, not really noticing anything around her. It was so strange, as if someone had clouded her eyes. She could see, but everything might as well have not existed. What Lena needed now was to ski. She needed to be in control of her own feeling of disarray; she needed to be lost in a wider context than this crowded buffet. 

* * *

Kara took off down the hallway once they got upstairs. Their room was at the very opposite end of where the stairs where, and Kara ran the entire stretch. 

She ran. All her energy, all her anger, all her fear was thrust into her stride. Her hair was flying behind her, and her tears streamed across her cheeks and behind her ears. Her lungs opened and Kara welcomed something that had not already been ruined by coming into contact with her. She ran, and then she stopped and took out her key card with trembling hands. Alex was not far behind her, having broken into a run right after Kara did.

She swiped one, two, three times. The door opened and Kara sobbed. A terrible sob that racked her body and ran through her shoulders and looked like it had broken her bones. Maggie was still waiting, and Alex, not wanting to take this time to explain to her girlfriend what had happened, asked her to give them a minute. Maggie nodded. 

“Take all the time you need,” she said. And with one final glance at Alex she left the room and made her way downstairs. She hoped this place had a bar. 

Kara felt everything that she had pushed down. She felt it in her stomach, in her arms, in her legs. She was fired up with electricity, and all she could do to get it out was scream. Kara screamed. She howled in pain. She screamed with her whole body, fists clenching, she paced and she screamed and she cried and she beat at the wall with all her might. She screamed until only a halfhearted rasp managed to escape her throat and then she collapsed. With her back against the wall, Kara fell and she fell in defeat. But she also fell in relief. Words didn’t quite have enough power for this kind of release. 

So she sat against the cold wall that had just bruised her knuckles, and she weeped. Alex had witnessed something like this only once before. Breakdowns to this extent were a bit uncommon, and she could so clearly see how torn apart Kara had become. So Alex stood, and she could not help the tears that silently made their way out of her eyes. 

It lasted a few minutes, because Kara was drained, but after a while, the Danvers sisters made their way to Kara’s bed and they sat. They sat against the headboard, next to each other, but not too close. Never too close. Alex spoke first.

“Kara. Talk to me. Please.” They sat. Kara spoke.

“I…  _ hate _ … how everything bothers me so much.” Her words were slow, her words had meaning. 

“I just want to be….normal. I want to do things that other people can do without  _ this _ happening.” Her voice was soft, raspy from the strain on her vocal chords.

“I’m not some helpless, stupid girl who always needs  _ somebody _ to protect her. I am strong! I am.” The last words were faint.

“Kara... you lost your parents when you were young, you started a new life with an entirely new family, you have lived with loss, you have lived through struggle, and you are the strongest person that I know. Kara, I’m not even sure I could do what you do every day. I admire you so much. You don’t have to do what everybody does. You have to do it in your  _ own _ way. You owe it to yourself. The way you go through the world, that’s what makes you special. If anything, everybody should wish they were as strong as you are Kara. I love you. I love you as your sister, and I love you for who you are as a person.” Alex’s eyes grew tearful as she continued.

“Everybody has moments like these. Moments where you feel like you need to be freed from your life, freed from everything it brings…. Freed from yourself even. It’s perfectly okay to have all of these feelings. I just want you to know that I trust you. I trust you to lead your life, and I trust you to know what is best, and to know your boundaries. I just want you to understand that I will be here for you no matter what happens. I will always be here.” Alex turned her head to look at Kara. Her eyes were downcast, her shoulders hunched, making her look much smaller. 

“Alex?” Kara’s voice was nervous, barely audible, frail, broken. “Can you hold me?” She glanced up, still afraid to meet Alex’s eyes. 

“Come here.” Kara fit into Alex’s arms, and she told Alex to holder her tightly. She couldn’t really stand any other kind of touch. So Alex squeezed, not too tightly, but tight enough. They sat together, Kara’s heart beating in sync with her sister’s. They would always have each other. Always. 

* * *

Maggie knew that she needed to give her girlfriend room to handle her own life. She understood, but that didn’t make it any easier for her to ignore the fact that she felt like a third wheel in her own relationship. So Maggie went down to a place where she felt comfortable, where she felt like she belonged. Maggie went to the bar. 

She was glad this hotel had one. It wasn’t very busy, seeing as most of the people staying in this hotel were skiing, but there were a few stragglers. Some were drinking this early in the morning, some were just sitting at the bar, some were playing pool, some were chatting with friends, and Maggie walked in, and Maggie was alone. 

It was too early for drinks, at least if she wanted to remember her next encounter with Alex, so Maggie just got a soda. She drank slowly, and she thought about many things, and she became one of the people sitting at the bar. And she was alone. 

Laughter stirred Maggie out of her subconscious stream of thoughts. She glanced behind her, it was coming from the pool table, loud and rich and deep. There were two men standing around the table, sticks in hand. The taller one had his head tilted back in laughter. His shoulders were very broad, and he dressed incredibly nicely, the tight button down shirt accentuating his muscles. His smile took up almost his entire face, his eyes scrunching up into crescent like shapes. He stopped laughing for a moment and said something to the man next to him, who was considerably shorter, with a much smaller frame. His hair was short and dark against his pale skin. His smile was a bit crooked, almost lopsided on his face, but Maggie thought he was cute. 

She wasn’t really getting anywhere sitting alone at the counter, so she decided she’d go over and talk to them, maybe even join their game of pool. Maggie was known to play sometimes. Truth be told, whenever she played it was with Alex, and whenever she played she lost. But these two looked nice, and because she wasn’t currently spending time with her favorite person, it wouldn’t hurt to make some friends. So Maggie set her soda down on the dark wood counter, spun her stool around and walked over the them. 

“You guys mind if I join your game?” Maggie knew how to present herself to men, she knew that she needed to come off as tough for people to take her seriously, so she sauntered over, walking slowly as if she owned the hotel itself. 

The two men shared a look, then stood with their arms crossed, in a bit of a wider stance, almost defensively. But that wasn’t who they were, they were just reflecting Maggie’s slightly aggressive advancement. 

The taller one cocked his head, “You think you got what it takes?” His voice was deep, not too loud, but Maggie felt it rumble in her chest. She wasn’t afraid, though. His response wasn’t intended to be menacing, it was more of a playful banter. Maggie liked him already. 

“You scared to find out?” Maggie stared defiantly into his eyes, but then she smiled. “Actually, I’m positive you’ll be much better than me, but I’m down here with nothing to do. Humor me?” Maggie decided that these guys were okay, so she dropped her facade. 

The taller one extended his hand with a warm expression on his face.

“I’m James. James Olsen.” They shook hands, and then James gestured to the person beside him.

“And I’m Winn Schott.” Maggie shook his hand too, just to continue the formality they had going. They stared at each other for a little while until Maggie realized she hadn’t introduced herself yet.

“I’m Maggie. Sawyer. Now that we’ve gotten the pleasantries out of the way, why don’t we don’t we stop gaping at each other like fish and actually play the game.” She could tell that the two men were a little bit awe stricken by her forwardness, but Maggie just stepped closer and started to set up a new game. She bent over the table trying to collect all the pool balls, and then rolled her eyes when she realized that Winn was staring at her ass. Shamelessly too, or at least he didn’t know that Maggie knew what he was doing. Sometimes, she really hated being a woman. Or rather, she hated men that made her feel that way. Maggie was a naturally bold person, she was not someone to shy away from confrontation, so she stood up and crossed her arms, a disappointed look directed at Winn.

“Hey shortstop, I know I’m hot as hell, but if you don’t stop staring at my ass, I’m going to knock out your teeth.” Winn’s eyes widened. He was definitely not expecting that response. He stuttered, trying to find an excuse but Maggie cut him off.

“An apology will do.” She looked towards James. “Keep your buddy here under control Olsen.” James chuckled.

“Don’t mind Winn. He’s practically harmless. And by the looks of it, I think you’re capable of handling yourself.” James earned a punch in the arm from Winn at his comment, but Winn got only a laugh in response.

“Hmmm. Good answer. You’re one I might keep around, Olsen.” Maggie grinned at Winn’s look of utter audacity. He gasped, mouth wide to exaggerate his shock.

“Oh come on Sawyer, I’m not  _ that  _ bad.” Winn scoffed her ridiculous accusations. He pretended to be offended, but he liked this casual back and forth that the three of them seemed to all find comfort in. 

Maggie and James shared a skeptical look, followed by Winn’s cry of, “Oh come on!”

“I’m really cool. I hacked code that I wasn’t even fluent in. That’s–that’s pretty cool if you ask me.” Winn chuckled, clearly pleased with himself at the memory.

“Oh wow. If that’s the case, then I’m all yours Schott.” Maggie rolled her eyes and drew out the phrase in a sarcastic manner. She smiled when she heard James laugh. That rumbling low, thunder type laugh that Maggie loved to listen to.

Winn didn’t fully process the sarcasm, and his eyes widened in slight confusion. A the silent sigh that follows laughter settled between the three of them. Winn fidgeted with his hands and rocked back and forth on his heels, as Maggie turned away to finish setting up the pool table, a task which was taking entirely too long. James walked over to help her out. 

“So….Maggie. You–do you–uh... do you have a boyfriend?” Winn stumbled over his words in a failed attempt to ask Maggie out. You could see repressed laughter in James’ smile.

Maggie didn’t even bother to glance back at Winn before she answered. She started ordering the pool balls in the middle of the table.

“No. As a matter of fact, I do not have a boyfriend.” Winn had been staring at his shoes, but his head shot up at this. He was sure that someone as good looking as Maggie would be dating someone.

“Oh!” He couldn’t hide the genuine surprise in his voice as he continued. “Well, I mean, since you don’t….Maybe, you know, I’ll give you my number and we could….hang out sometime?” Maggie tried very hard not to laugh at how clueless he was. She knew that Winn would never have a chance with him, and it was sad and amusing at the same time. She needed to stop this train before it took off. 

“Well… I don’t have a boyfriend. But I am very much taken.” Maggie wondered how long it would take for him to catch on. At this point, she and James were done setting up, so Maggie looked at both of them once again.

“Oh. Oh I’m sorry. Of course you’re married. I’m–wow I’m so stupid.” Winn laughed at his mistake but he didn’t get very far. Maggie gazed at him wistfully, waiting for the end of his rambling.

“Oh no I’m not married.” A smile played on Maggie’s lips at Winn’s obvious confusion. Even James was intrigued at this point, the two men leaning in slightly, the anticipation of her answer hanging overhead. 

“I have a girlfriend actually. And I love her very much. Sorry Winn, even if I  _ were _ into men, I’m taken.” Maggie shrugged. Her answer had certainly shut Winn up. It was one of the many answers he had not expected to hear today.

There was a slight discomfort in the air, so the three of them picked up their sticks in an attempt to start playing. A few awkward minutes went by before Winn, in all his charming, playful glory, broke the silence.

“So is she pretty? Your girlfriend?” He gave Maggie that eager, lopsided smile that always found its way on his face. Maggie laughed, and James just stood by, watching this interaction. He was very taken with Maggie. There was just something enticing about her, and she seemed like someone that he would love spending time with. 

“She is. She’s beautiful, and kind. She’s super smart, she has a degree in bio-engineering. Oh, and she’s good with a gun. All the things I love in a woman.” Maggie felt a bittersweet tinge in her stomach speaking of Alex like this. Sweet because Maggie loved Alex, she loved thinking about her. Bitter because the only reason Maggie had time to think about her was that she wasn’t here. She wasn’t by her side, and Maggie missed her. 

James could tell that something changed in Maggie’s demeanor as her mind drifted to these thoughts, so her interjected.

“She sounds lovely, Maggie. I’m glad you’re happy.” His voice was like butter, smooth, and it comforted Maggie.

“I am. I am very happy.” She smiled at him, a genuine respect in her eyes, and she found it was reciprocated. Alex would like these two, she could tell. Maybe Maggie could invite them over sometime. Maybe even later today. After all, it was not yet afternoon. She’d have to ask Alex the next time she saw her.

She glanced up at James’ sharp intake of breath.

“Okay, what are we standing around here for? I believe it’s time for me to beat your sorry asses.” Both Winn and Maggie readjusted their positioning as if to say, “Oh, it’s on.” They were all very competitive, that much was clear.

“James Olsen, you are going to be very sorry you said that after I win this game.” James and Winn were on the same wavelength, shooting witty commentary back and forth. It was such a change from what Maggie was usually surrounded by, and she welcomed it.

“Oh boys, I’m going to beat you by a landslide.” They all laughed, and Maggie was so happy that she had decided to come down here. She would catch up with Alex later, for now, it seemed she had found her people.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's game night guys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey i am very sorry for the wait on this chapter. I was incredibly tired this week idk why but here it is. Suggestions for the next chapter are always appreciated, so comment on this or hmu on my tumblr its @luthorcrop and i will always be happy to talk with you. Have a good weekend guys, and see you on sunday!

Everyone groaned as Lena gathered the colorful paper money to pay for Boardwalk. She grinned slyly, making an exaggerated gesture of counting her money.

“She has Boardwalk _and_ Park Place! She’s gonna win!” Winn whined and shot Lena a scowl. He couldn’t hold it for long, though, a smile eventually breaking his furrowed eyebrows.

“What can I say,” Lena flipped her hair for dramatic effect. “I’m good with money.” Kara giggled beside her. This was the second time the six of them were together for a game night. The first time was a few days ago. Kara invited Lena to thank her for scaring off Mike, and Maggie invited Winn and James so they could meet the Danvers. The three of them, Maggie, James and Winn, had really hit it off at the bar. Maggie thought it would be fun if they all got together. She had not previously known Kara’s plans to invite Lena, but it all worked out. She was sure people could hear their laughter down the hall.

They were scattered on the carpeted floor, somewhat cramped in the small hotel room. Kara had eaten most of the potstickers they had gotten from room service, the rest of them had popped a bottle of champagne, and they were all having the best time.

The monopoly board was out for the second time as well. Kara, always the very attentive one, had memorized the positions of everybody’s pieces, and what they owned, so instead of starting a new game, the six of them continued what they had started a few days ago. And that included Lena’s very strategic purchase of both Boardwalk and Park Place.

Everybody groaned when she bought her first hotel, but it was more out of defeat than annoyance. They had split into teams, and Kara was pretty sure it was an excuse for Maggie to curl up between Alex’s legs instead of go head to head in a fight for property. But Kara didn’t mind. It just meant that she got to work with Lena, who had proven to be a master at this game. They sat next to each other, quite close actually, but not touching.

Alex was immersed in the competition, and Lena buying a hotel on the most expensive property in the game just fueled her need to come as close as she could to winning. Maggie however, was very content being in Alex’s arms and watching her play. Maggie, not being new to this gay thing at all, had picked up some subtle gay vibes from none other than Lena, Kara’s new bezzie mate. She noticed Kara’s affection first, after all, Kara wasn’t one to try very hard to hide her facial expressions. Glances back and forth caught Maggie’s eye, and she found herself just watching their exchanges.

Kara was not very good at monopoly, she prefered instead to be the banker. She liked keeping the flimsy paper coded by color and amount, and she enjoyed the feeling of maturity that came with managing transactions. It also gave her something concrete to focus on, something physical. She found that the constant movement and laughter of the bodies around her was distracting, so organizing and reorganizing the money was a great way to keep her occupied.

She also enjoyed looking at people, and she enjoyed it best when the pressure of initiating or maintaining a conversation wasn’t hanging overhead. Here, her toes digging into the soft carpeted floor, she could observe very miniscule facial expressions and ticks that the five people around her seemed to posses. Maggie constantly ran her hands up and down the leg of her jeans, perhaps because the friction of her fingerprints against the lined fabric was very stimulating, and a bit addictive. Winn often craned his neck downwards while scratching at the back of his head. This usually followed the embarrassment of a particularly bad joke that found its way out of his mouth. James had the habit of rubbing his hands together, a sound that made its way into the back of Kara’s brain, best to be described as a light clawing sensation, but she tried not to let it bother her too much. Kara was very familiar with Alex’s quirks. She chewed on her lip very frequently, and had a habit of scrunching up her face. Kara found it very endearing, it made Alex look a lot younger.

Lena was Kara’s favorite to look at. It helped that she was easy on the eyes. Kara could admit it. Her even jawline, her light skin, her lips that always seemed to be curled into a smile, her dark eyelashes, her bright eyes, the way she lifted her eyebrow in a manner that Kara could only describe as provocative. It also helped that Lena didn’t move very much, she was still and quiet, aside from sarcastic quips sent back and forth between her and Winn. When she did move, it was to glance over at Kara occasionally. She usually found bright blue eyes already awaiting her green ones.

Kara found that Lena was the one person whose eye contact she didn’t shy away from. She found it easier to approach Lena’s eyes as if they were objects, rather than someone staring back at her. Kara studied the woman beside her. Her blue coat had been ditched near the door, and she was now sitting on the floor, a loose white t-shirt with a skull on it bunched up around her waist, and her black jeans almost made it all the way to her ankles. Her dark hair fell in waves around her shoulders, and for someone who thought she didn’t laugh much, Lena sure was enjoying herself.

Kara supposed it was because Lena felt like she had a family here. Lena had people who supported her, who believed in her, who were on her side, and that was something she had always been lacking.

Kara never found herself as attracted to anybody as she was to Lena. And it wasn’t sexual attraction, it was more like magnetic attraction. There was just something about Lena that pulled Kara to her. Yes, it helped that she was incredibly beautiful, but it was something else as well.

Maggie had picked up on Kara’s not–so–subtle staring, and she couldn’t wait to tell Alex. Maggie had been skeptical of Lena at first, but who was she to deny Kara someone that never failed to put a smile on her face. Maggie sighed into her girlfriend’s body. She could feel Alex’s heartbeat against her back, she could feel the vibrations when she spoke and she could feel the slight rasp in her lungs every time she inhaled.

Yes, Maggie let Alex do all of the playing for today, but it was for a good cause. Maggie knew lesbian activity when she saw it, and Kara and Lena certainly had undeniable chemistry. She sat up slightly, then leaned in to pepper Alex’s neck with kisses.

“Hey babe, I’m pretty tired.” Maggie let her lips graze her girlfriend’s ear, smiling as she heard Alex’s shaky intake of breath in response to her lips.

“Yeah, yeah we should probably get to bed.” Alex leaned down to capture Maggie’s lips in her own, and they both blushed.

“Hey, come on guys. Get a room.” Winn made a hasty attempt to cover his eyes, but he’d be lying if he said that he wasn’t attracted even a little bit to either woman. James chuckled and patted Winn on the shoulder.

“Winn….this _is_ their room.” Everybody laughed as Winn’s shoulders dropped a bit and his hands fell to his sides. He looked so much smaller sitting down, his faded Batman t-shirt only a bit too tight on him, and his legs folded up in a criss-cross applesauce. The goofy smile made way to his face once again, balanced and and natural against a broad jaw. His raised his eyebrows in a gesture of friendly fatigue, and started to stand.

“Well, thank you so much for inviting us into your lovely room,” Winn brushed his hands on his pants as he drew out the phrase in exaggeration. “ _Your_ lovely room, as I was so graciously corrected by James here. So,” he cleared his throat and held out his hand to pull James up. “I think we should be going.”

He and James stepped over the monopoly board, careful not to move any of the pieces as they made their way to the door. Lena glanced over at Alex and Maggie. They were both rising to see the two men out, their eyes on James and Winn only, but Lena didn’t miss the way Maggie’s hand ran up and down Alex’s back. Her eyes widened as she realized why Winn and James had decided to leave. Maggie and Alex were standing side by side in the doorway, bidding two of their guests goodnight, and one could tell by the way Maggie’s grip was tightened around Alex’s waist that the couple wished for some time alone.

Lena started to get up as well, straightening her shirt, only a bit dazed as her vision darkened from standing up too quickly. Once she regained her footing, she moved to grab her coat and walked towards Alex and Maggie, who were still standing by the door.

“I think I should probably get going. It is late, and I wouldn’t want to interfere with anything.” Lena started to thank Alex for having her, but Kara interrupted as she started to put away the monopoly pieces and return the cards to their designated spots.

“Lena doesn’t have to go. She can stay here, right?” Alex’s brown eyes searched Maggie’s face for her response to Kara’s words. The shorter girl’s eyes were very tired, and it was clear she didn’t want to argue with Kara. Alex broke eye contact with her girlfriend.

“Kara, Maggie and I are pretty tired, so I think it’s a good idea if Lena goes home–or to her hotel room.” Kara turned at Alex’s request, her expression blank and very hard to read.

After a few moments of silence and somewhat awkward staring, Maggie and Kara spoke at the same time.

Kara’s succinct answer of “Okay” was overlapped by Maggie’s suggestion that she go spend time with Lena somewhere else.

At this, Kara brightened, and Maggie smiled at her reaction. Alex looked over at Lena to see if she was okay with that plan. Lena nodded. Everybody was silent for a while, the realization of their collective calm nature washed over the room and settled. It was as if all four of them could finally breathe in the background hum of white noise. It was comforting.

“Kara, we could spend time in my room. Is that okay?” Kara nodded and jumped up from her crouching position on the floor.

“Yes, I would like that very much.” Lena grinned, and Maggie shot Alex a knowing look.

“Well okay then, it’s settled.” Lena extended her arm in a gesture to lead Kara with her, and they stepped out the door together. Kara gave Alex and her girlfriend one last glance.

“Bye guys. Have fun!” She and Lena skipped off down the hall to the stairway, and left Alex and Maggie in the doorway, shoulder to shoulder, watching their shrinking forms.

* * *

Once they closed the door, Alex and Maggie let out deep sighs, the noise and laughter from their game night still lingered, and the sudden absolute quiet became quite deafening. Maggie ran her hand down Alex’s arm and gave her a light squeeze before letting go, and they she made her way to one of the two beds in the hotel room.

“Hey. We should watch a movie, Danvers.” Maggie scooted up to the headboard and patted the mattress beside her as if to say, “Come sit,” or, “Come, spend time with me.” Maggie had been feeling just a tad excluded sometimes on this trip, but she wasn’t upset about it, in fact, it gave her a reason to cherish the times she did have with Alex. Not that there wasn’t a reason already, but this way, time spent alone was somehow more special.

Alex skipped over at Maggie’s invitation and grabbed the TV remote, then sat down next to her. Their thighs were touching, and Alex put her arm around Maggie’s shoulders.

“You’re really warm, Maggie.” Alex was feeling very affectionate tonight, and she nuzzled her head against Maggie’s. The shorter woman chuckled in response.

“Very touchy today, are we?” They both grinned, the laughter in Maggie’s eyes was hard to miss, and in this moment Alex was flooded with the very conscious realization that she was so in love with Maggie. Head over heels in love with the woman beside her, and her chest swelled at the thought of spending the rest of their lives together, and it made her eyes glassy with tears. She blinked them away, but hardly anything escaped Maggie.

“You getting soft on me Danvers?” Maggie smiled then reached up a bit to give Alex a slow kiss on the cheek. Her lips lingered, and Alex was filled with love.

“Now how about that movie?” Alex grabbed the remote she had put beside her and clicked the TV on. They curled up next to each other, breathing synced as Alex looked for a movie they could watch.

“Ooh! What about the notebook?!” Alex paused, she looked over at Maggie in disbelief. Alex actually couldn't process what had just come out of Maggie's mouth so she just stared for a minute, waiting for an explanation.

“Maggie…..” Alex was beyond confused, her eyebrows twisted up. Maggie cackled at her expression and lightly slapped her on the arm.

“Babe, your face.” She almost couldn't speak because she was laughing so hard.

“Alex…. that was a joke. I mean what are we? Straight people?” Maggie scoffed at the absurdity and smile grew on Alex's face. It was a smile of relief.

“Maggie you have no idea how many times I have suffered through that movie with Kara. You have no idea.” Alex shook her head and sighed, laughing at the occurrence.

“Okay let's actually choose a movie now. “ Maggie leaned up once again and kissed Alex on the forehead. They snuggled closer to each other on the bed, their collective body heat seeping into the mattress. They might be in a bland hotel room, but this is what home felt like. They both knew it.

* * *

“I feel like you're a musicals type of girl.” It was more of a statement than a question. Lena cocked her eyebrow, shoulder against the door, pushing it open after the light on the handle had flashed green. Kara’s eyes darted at the sudden movement.

“Yes, I do! I am! I love musicals.” Kara’s eyes widened and you could see the joy behind them, but her expression remained quite serious.

“Chicago was based on true events from actual Prohibition! Although the ban of alcohol in a country of drunkards seems like a great idea, it actually just created an underground booze system and took an enormous toll on our economy because of the influx of prisoners.” Kara stared at the ground while she spoke, her hands moving this way and that, spewing out information. And for one of the smartest people back in National City, Lena was impressed.

They entered the room, and unfamiliar yet not at all unpleasant smell of lavender filled Kara’s nose, making its way to her head and she felt dizzy, intoxicated almost. But it was nice, and Kara hadn’t made the conscious connection before, but it was the smell of Lena. Kara enjoyed that thought, Lena was all around her in this room. It was comforting. Kara had continued talking while following the dark haired woman around the room, and Lena made occasional noises of approval to show Kara that she was listening.

“One of my favorites is West Side Story.  I think I like it so much because I read Romeo and Juliet so many times, which is basically what West Side story is, but I can’t be sure. It’s crazy to think that it was released thirty years before I was born. I mean, it’s so good.” Kara was so lost in thought that she almost bumped into Lena when she stopped walking. Lena threw her purse on the bed and turned to face Kara, a look of amusement and pure affection on her face as Kara continued.

“But my favorite of all time has to be Grease. I have watched that movie about eleven times, and it never gets old. Beauty School Dropout was actually inspired by–” Kara cut herself off and took a moment to look at Lena. She found it a bit hard to read the expression of the woman standing in front of her. Kara couldn’t decide if she was amused or annoyed. The last thing she wanted to do was annoy Lena, one of her only friends besides her sister and Maggie. Alex had told Kara that sometimes people would get overwhelmed with how much she knew, but Alex also told Kara that it wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, it was incredibly impressive, and showed just how smart Kara was, which was a source of jealousy for many of Kara’s school bullies. Kara remembered Alex’s words now, and took this opportunity to let Lena settle in her own room. Kara was used to driving people away, and she didn’t want Lena to be one of those people.

“Kara, what is it? Why’d you stop?” Lena’s face crumpled into concern as Kara’s cheeks reddened. She refused to make eye contact, so instead Kara stared down at the floor and rocked back and forth on her heels.

“I thought you were getting bored. I’ll stop talking if you don’t want to listen.” Kara twisted her fingers in front of her stomach and shied her eyes away from Lena’s searching gaze.

“Maybe I should just go back to my room. I don’t want to bother you.” She turned towards the door, her body unnaturally rigid. It was clear that Kara was very uncomfortable, but Lena didn’t quite understand why.

“Hey Kara, I’m sure I could find Grease somewhere on this TV. I got premium access for it just in case. Do you want to–I mean would you want to watch it? With me?” Lena herself was nervous, and she found herself mirroring Kara’s posture. She didn’t want to pressure Kara into staying if she didn’t want to, but she also didn’t want Kara to think she had to leave.

“Yes. Okay. Let’s watch Grease.” Kara’s shoulders relaxed at the notion that Lena actually wanted to spend time with her. Lena smiled, relieved. Then she quickly searched the room for the remote.

“Come on. Let’s get comfortable, shall we?” Lena made a dramatic gesture to the bed and her heart leapt when a smile grew on Kara’s face.

They settled next to each other, backs against the soft, white pillows, the mattress sinking under their collective weight. Kara let the quilt engulf her as Lena scanned the movie selection for Grease.

“So Kara… What were you saying about Beauty School Dropout?” The reflection of the screen was visible in the window of the room and in Lena’s eyes.

Kara perked up at the question, her previous train of thought coming back to her as she began to speak again. The realization that Lena was interested in what she had to say made Kara’s stomach flutter, and it was a strange sensation.

“Beauty School Dropout was not my favorite song originally, but it is now. The writers were inspired by an actual teenager who dropped out of beauty school and then became a murderer. That was the most exciting part for me.” Kara looked over at Lena, whose eyebrows had risen on her face.

“I had no idea. That makes my view on the song a whole lot different.” Lena chuckled nervously and then gasped lightly.

“I found it!” Kara glanced up, her attention now on the screen in front of the bed. She grinned, and her heart rate sped in excitement.

The opening cartoon credits started rolling and Kara squealed with delight. Lena turned her head, her hair making a slight brushing sound against the wood of the headboard. The upbeat opening strings streamed into both their ears. Lena took this time to admire Kara’s unabashed joy, her eyes squinted and her smile wide, foot tapping to the beat. She couldn’t help but feel her cheeks get warmer as she watched Kara lick her lips, then Lena scolded herself yet again for having these thoughts. They were supposed to be friends, and Lena couldn’t be one to ruin this friendship because of extremely persistent feelings, some of which made her heart and stomach flutter and others which led her to a very cold shower. Lena really couldn’t help them though. Kara was just so lovable, somebody that Lena just worked well with. Her energy was positive, and she was warm, and she was smart, and she was strong. Strong both in the physical sense, (Lena may have become a little too fond of the other woman’s biceps) and strong because she had lost so much, had seen and been victim of so much grief, yet here she was, persevering despite it all. That was something Lena connected with, something Lena admired.

Lena hadn’t seen Grease in a long while. In truth, movie musicals really weren’t her thing, but she’d do anything to see Kara as happy as she was now.

The movie started, and Kara glanced over at Lena to make sure she was watching. Instead of being interested in the movie however, Lena was interested in something closer to her than the TV. They locked eyes, Kara’s bright blue ones scanning over Lena’s defiant green ones. Lena smirked, the corner of her mouth tugged upward, and Kara blushed. She had been able to read that expression, but it wasn’t so much what it was compared to how it made her feel. Something ran hot throughout Kara’s limbs and she shivered. Lena noticed her reaction, and decided it would be easier for both of them is they just watched the movie. Lena turned her head once more, the reflection of the first scene of the school yard reflecting in her eyes, and Kara–Kara had found something that could make her ignore Grease. Grease! Her all time favorite movie musical that happened to be playing in none other than Lena Luthor’s hotel room. The opening music faded as Kara’s eyes painted across Lena’s face. Somewhere in the distance, a car sped by on the midnight mountain highway.

The room was bright, but not blinding, and Lena smelled like lavender.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aye here we go here we go.  
> This fic is going to end in about two chapters or so, but do not be alarmed. I have another idea on the way. This is a bit of a filler chapter to set things up for what is coming. See you next week!

Kara awoke, blinking slowly as her eyes adjusted to the light streaming through the curtain Lena had forgotten to close. Lena! Kara gasped lightly and sat up, taking a moment to look around and process where she was and how she got here. She was watching Grease, and she remembered her eyes growing heavy, too heavy to keep open. She remembered sliding under the covers and she remembered how cold her feet were and remembered the sound of the TV give way to silence and she remembered the smell of Lena.

Kara sat up looked over at the bed next to the one she had fallen asleep in. Lena’s hair was dark against the white pillow, and she was sprawled across the mattress, taking up all the space. Kara could hear her breathing, light and even, and she smiled as Lena’s hand twitched. Kara couldn’t tell what time it was, and reaching down to her sweatpants pocket, she realized that she left her phone in Alex’s room. Kara did have a tendency to wake up fairly early, so rather than go down to Alex’s room and risk waking her up, she settled back in bed and rolled over on her side. She wasn’t tired enough to go back to sleep, so Kara stared off into space and let her mind wander.

She thought of this whole trip, of meeting Lena and skiing with her. She thought of the time Maggie and Alex had spent together. She thought of Winn and James and how fun they were. Kara never had brothers, but if she did, she'd want them to be Winn and James. She thought of Lena mostly, though. Of her smile, and her voice, and how she cared. It dawned on her that Lena really, genuinely cared about her. Kara only always had Alex and Maggie, but then Alex had Maggie, and Kara found herself alone. Nobody wanted to put up with her when she was in school, so Kara never really had friends that she could count on. People were nice to her, and people were not so nice, but Kara didn't have that one person she could count on. Lena was different; Lena was smart, and beautiful, and Lena cared for her. It was new, a new sort of relationship that Kara wasn’t used to yet, but she rather liked it

Kara’s eyes were drawn to Lena once more, and she found herself scanning the woman’s body. She had kept her white skull t-shirt on, maybe too tired to take it off, but she had changed her pants, and was now wearing a pair of dark boy shorts that revealed long expanses of smooth, pale skin. Kara’s eyes traced her bare legs, and something warm flashed through her entire body, sending goosebumps across her skin. She felt her cheeks grow warm, and although she knew Lena couldn’t see her, Kara was embarrassed. She averted her eyes from where the other woman lay, and focused instead on a suitcase in the corner. It was Lena’s, clearly, and Kara noticed that she hadn’t unpacked her clothing. Christmas was in three days, and Kara knew that she was leaving tomorrow, that’s why she hadn’t unpacked her stuff, but Lena didn’t know. Kara supposed that Lena might be leaving soon, too. Come to think of it, Kara didn’t know when Lena was leaving, or where she was leaving to. This ski resort is the closest one to National City, that’s why Maggie and the Danvers come to ski here, so it’s quite possible that Lena lives in Nation City, too. It's also quite possible that James and Winn live in the city, or somewhere near it at least. Kara smiled at the fantasy of them having Christmas together, with hot chocolate and jazzy tunes playing in the background of Kara’s living room. Maggie might have to do the baking, though, because that was one skill neither Kara nor Alex had seemed to master. 

Kara was having so much fun here. So far, this has been the most successful vacation she’s had. Meeting Lena had something to do with it, so the realization that Kara only had one day left to ski made her heart sink. She toyed with a corner of the pillowcase, only now noticing a draft of cool air that brushed over her bare feet and made her shiver. She sat up, and decided she should wake Lena. If this was Kara’s last day to ski, she might as well make the most of it.

She swung her legs over the side of the very tall hotel bed, and jumped down lightly to stand. Her feet met soft carpet and she padded over to where Lena was sleeping. Kara took a moment to observe the woman. She looked much younger in her sleep, with her soft sloping nose and bright lips parted a bit, she looked beautiful as ever. Kara was overcome with a strange urge to brush the dark hair out of her eyes. Instead, Kara bent over and shook Lena lightly on the arm.

“Lena….Lena wake up.” Kara whispered, still shaking Lena’s arm slightly.  Lena groaned, sitting up slowly, blinking sleep from her eyes. 

“Kara!” Her eyebrows rose higher on her face as Lena realized where she was. Kara stepped back to let Lena get out of bed. She went back to sit down on her own bed and waited for Lena to wake up.

Lena rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands, not the inside of her palms like Kara does. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. Lena lifted her gaze to meet Kara’s, giving her a soft smile.

“Hi, Lena.” Kara almost whispered it, like if she was too loud, she might shatter the air between them. There was an interesting tension that surrounded them, Lena picked up on it So did Kara. It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, it was more suspenseful, expecting. Of what, the two women didn’t know for sure, but the soft smiles exchanged between them felt secretive, as if something happened last night that couldn’t quite be explained.

“Good morning, Kara. I hope you slept well?” Lena cocked an eyebrow and waited for her answer while standing to make the bed she had been tangled up in the night before.

“Yes. I did sleep well.” Kara stood up and did the same, not quite aware of how she should respond. She didn’t know if Lena was annoyed at her for sleeping over, she didn’t know if she wanted Kara to leave, she didn’t know if waking Lena up was the wrong thing to do. So Kara kept her voice as flat as possible, she didn’t want to speak with the wrong tone just in case there was a mood to their conversation that Kara was somehow missing.

They were both quiet after that; the only sound in the room was the rustling of sheets and the faint shouts of skiers on the mountain. Neither of them knew what to say, the awkward silence filled their ears and led to awkward eye contact that made both women blush. The beds were made, and Kara stood facing Lena. She was uncomfortable, her shoulders hunched a bit and her hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

“Lena, today is the last day I’m staying here.” Kara’s eyes were downcast, making her appear perpetually sad when in fact, she wasn’t. Kara just felt very intruded by Lena’s gaze at this particular moment.

“Are you going home for Christmas?” Lena walked over to where Kara was standing and sat down on the bed. Her voice was calm, and her eyes and body language let Kara know she was welcome to sit down beside her.

“Yes. Maggie and my sister and I are spending Christmas in National City.” Kara did sit down next to Lena, the bed sinking under her weight. Kara was more comfortable. She felt like Lena didn’t expect anything of her, she felt like she could just exist for a moment.

“We always go on a big shopping trip to get gifts for each other.” Kara rested her hands on her knees, staring off into space as the memories played in her mind.

“I got lost once,” she giggled. “Maggie forced some poor employee to let her use the PA system just to find me.” 

Lena smiled at Kara’s expression; she was far off, somewhere else entirely. This was the moment. It had only happened to Lena once before, and it was happening now. Lena knew, as she stared at Kara with the dumbest smile on her face, she knew this is how she wanted to spend the rest of her life. Lena was with Kara now, and she was happy, and they were friends, and Lena found herself thinking how happy being with Kara would make her. Not just being with her, but being a part of her life. Being the person who knows when she’s upset, being the person who calls to check up on her, being the person who brings her flowers when she’s feeling down, who buys her donuts, who takes her on dates to try kombucha and kale. Lena wanted to be that person for Kara. The person who buys you take-out on a busy work day, the person who makes you breakfast, the person you stay up late to talk to, the person you wake up next to. Lena’s mind worked very fast, too fast, for she found herself thinking of marriage, and a dog, and kids. She internally scolded herself. She and Kara were just friends. That is what they are, and Lena’s feelings, however present they may be, would not become a part of the relationship that was developing. 

Lena’s thoughts were loud, and Kara looked up to see why she hadn’t responded. Lena still had a goofy, love-stricken smile on her face, and Kara couldn’t read her expression.

“Lena, do you live in National City?” Kara’s voice snapped Lena out of her daze.

“I do. Why?” Kara took her hands off her knees and picked at her nails.

“Well, you said you don’t really have a family… I was wondering if you might like to spend Christmas with us?” It took her a while to finish the question because Kara was nervous as to how Lena would respond, but once she did, Lena’s heart stopped. Or skipped a beat. She was shocked. Beyond shocked. Nobody would invite a Luthor to spend time with them. It was unheard of. Lena had been alone for so long, but ironically she never got the chance to forget what being surrounded by people felt like. There was the press, reporters, photographers, saboteurs, hate mail, hackers, all types of people imaginable. Lena felt like she could never get rid of them. She wouldn't miss being in crowds, not one bit, But she has missed intimate moments like these. Or just the notion of something more intimate. It made Lena feel real. She had been cold for so long, cut off from her family, from everybody. The closest relationship she’s had in years is the one with her secretary. Jess was an angel, but Lena wanted something more. Something with someone like Kara. 

“So… Is that a yes? Or a no? You don’t have to if you don’t want to, I just thought you might like to have company. Or maybe you already do! Have company, I mean. I’m sorry, I just didn’t think of that possibility, that was stupid of me.” Kara was rambling. “Of course you have company. You probably have a husband. Of course you do. Who could even resist someone as pretty as you anyway? Not to say that’s all you are! Because you are definitely smart, and strong, and powerful. I didn’t mean to reduce you to how you look; that’s the internalized misogyny talking.” 

Kara’s eyes were frantic, so were her gesticulations. She kept talking in hope that Lena would say something and cut her off and maybe answer her original question. The last thing she wanted was more silence between them.

“Kara.” Lena interjected, and Kara took a breath. “Calm down. It’s okay. I would love to come.” She sighed in relief, the tension released from her shoulders and Lena smiled. 

“That’s actually the nicest offer I’ve gotten in a very long time.” They stared at each other, pure admiration in their eyes. Kara cleared her throat as the moment died down. 

“We should probably go get Alex and Maggie. This is our last day to ski.” Kara stood and started for the door.

“I’ll meet you down there, I should probably get dressed first.” Lena laughed nervously as she followed Kara to the door. She gripped the handle, the hinges creaked slightly as it opened, and as awkwardly as a couple of middle schoolers, the two of them said goodbye. 

Kara made her way to the staircase and Lena watched her go. This was the first time the dark haired woman had noticed how muscular Kara was. Her back was incredibly broad, and her biceps were visible under the cotton shirt whose sleeves had ridden up her shoulders. Lena could only imagine the smooth skin under her shirt. She cursed under her breath and shut the door.

* * *

The knocking would’ve startled Alex if it had come just thirty minutes earlier, but it didn’t, and she and Maggie were dressed and not currently making out. Alex ran to the door, still unsurprised that it was Kara. 

“Where were you last night?” Alex stood with her arms crossed, the hint of a smile playing on her face.

“Oh! I slept with Lena.” Kara shrugged past her sister’s form and entered the room, walking towards her suitcase so she could get changed. Alex’s eyes widened at her sister’s response, and Maggie spit out the glass of water she was currently drinking.

“Hey, Maggie. You should probably clean that up.” Kara knelt down to grab some clothing she could wear under her ski pants. The sexual innuendo flew totally above her head. Maggie made pointed eye contact with Alex as if to say  _ I told you so _ .

“So, you and Lena have grown pretty close, huh?” Alex closed the door and made the question sound as casual as possible.

“Oh yeah. Lena’s my favorite.” Kara heard Maggie’s gasp of offence and she smiled. “Sorry, Maggie.” 

Alex chuckled, but was very interested in her sister’s relationship with the woman. This morning, when Alex and her girlfriend woke up, Maggie was excited to tell her, and in great detail, her theory on Kara and Lena. Maggie did make a compelling case, and Alex made a note to pay closer attention to their interactions from now on. 

“I’m pretty sad that we have to leave tomorrow, but I invited Lena to come to my house for Christmas. And she said yes!” Kara stood up, clothing in her hand, and made her way to the bathroom to change.

“Oh! That’s great! She seemed to have a really good time yesterday with us, this should be fun.” Alex raised her eyebrows as Maggie, and a knowing smile crossed over both of their faces. Kara nodded curtly.

“Lena is going to come down here to pick me up, so I have to get ready. We’re going skiing.” Kara slid into the bathroom and shut the door, leaving a slightly stunned Alex and a very smug Maggie in her wake. 

The knock came not fifteen minutes later, and Alex opened the door for the second time that morning.

“Hello Alex. Um, is Kara ready?” Lena carried her snowpants over one of her arms and her hair was pulled up. Alex smirked.

“Yeah, she’s in the bathroom. She’ll be out in a minute.” Alex stepped aside to invite Lena in but she just shook her head. 

“I’ll wait out here. Tell her I’m here will you?” Lena smiled sweetly as Alex nodded, then she closed the door.

Alex ran back to the back of the room where Maggie was sitting and started freaking out. She and Maggie shrieked quietly, and yes it is weird to fangirl over her sister’s love life, but when it was something as profound as this, well, shrieking was in order. 

“I told you. I told you! They are in love and they’re going to get married and we are going to bet there and support them this is the best day of my life!” Alex and Maggie jumped around the room, going on and on about Kara’s hypothetical future with Lena,  and trying to suppress their excitement. 

“My little sister is growing up!” Alex mimed wiping away a tear, and Maggie laughed. 

“You’re such a nerd Danvers.” Alex scrunched her face up.

“Yeah, but you love me.” Alex gave Maggie an exaggerated smooch on the cheek. Maggie rolled her eyes.

“I do, I do.” They both smiled giddily, the hype had not yet died down. Just then, Kara stepped out of the bathroom. Maggie and Alex froze where they were and tried to look as if they weren’t just freaking out not ten seconds ago.

“Has Lena come yet?” Kara’s eyebrows twisted upward, genuinely expectant. 

“I don’t know Kara, has she?” Maggie mumbled under her breath and laughed as Alex slapped her on the arm.

“Yes! Lena is right outside. You should go ski with her.” Alex all but pushed her to the door in excitement. Kara was very confused as to what was taking place, and she was a bit too tired to try and figure it out right now, so she threw her sweatpants and t-shirt on the bed and hurried out the door.

“Have fun!” Alex called after Kara and slammed the door shut behind her. Maggie rushed over to Alex in an attempt to hear the conversation through the door. It was muffled, but they could hear.

“Lena! It’s so good to see you again!” Kara’s voice was a bit distorted through the wood, and Alex snickered at Kara’s choice in what to say.

“We just saw each other twenty minutes ago.” They could hear Lena chuckle.

“I know. I’m just excited to ski with you.” Maggie put her hand over her heart at Kara’s words.

“Well then, shall we?” Their voices grew fainter, so they were making their way down the hall. They heard Kara say one last thing before they faded completely.

“We should watch another movie tonight.”

Alex grinned at Maggie.

“They are so in love.” 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second to last chapter folks. Enjoy.
> 
>  
> 
> also sorry for any typos, i'll proof read later.

“So Kara, I was thinking…” Lena grunted lightly as she pulled off her left ski boot. They were in the locker room once again, tired after a long day of skiing. Kara was already done taking her boots off, and was placing both sets of skis and poles against the wall. She was silent, but she wasn’t ignoring Lena, she was just listening. Lena continued.

“I might leave tomorrow as well. I don’t really see the point in staying if you’re not going to be here…” Lena trailed off, her cheeks turning a shade of pink as she realized what she just said. She hoped Kara didn’t interpret the phrase as something more significant than skiing. Kara turned around to face Lena once she made sure none of the poles were going to fall from where they leaned on the wall.  

“You could ride with us!” Kara plopped down on the bench next to Lena, her entire face expanded into a smile, her joy too great to hide. She grew more serious, though, her brain whirring to work out the logistics of her plan.

“We all came in one car. Alex drives, Maggie always calls shotgun, so you and I can sit in the back…” Kara was thinking out loud, staring upwards as if she was visualizing her words in thin air. She pulled herself out of the moment for a minute and looked at Lena.

“You don’t get carsick, right?” Lena shook her head no at Kara’s question, a bit stunned by how determined she was. And how smart, and how quickly she was going through these thoughts. 

“Okay! I’ll ask Alex and Maggie if it’s okay. I mean I’m sure it will be.” Kara paused, pensive. 

“How did you get here Lena? By car?” Lena nodded at Kara’s inquisition, only a bit overwhelmed by Kara’s unflinching strength of character. It was clear to Lena at this point that when Kara wanted something done, it was going to be done. She admired that, because she was the same way. 

“I’ll just hire someone to drive my car back to National City.” Lena grinned. It was meant as a joke, mostly. But Kara thought it was a great idea.

“Oh great idea! I’m so excited.” Kara waved her arms back and forth in enthusiasm. Lena laughed, pleased to see Kara so happy.

“We’ll leave tomorrow at nine. Alex figures it’ll get more crowded the closer it gets to Christmas, so we always come early.” Kara explained, a very mature expression taking over her face. 

Lena finally managed to get her stubborn boot off, and she sighed in relief at the sensation. So this is what it felt like for her foot to finally be free. Kara saw that Lena was mostly ready, so she stood, already making plans for what they should do tonight. Kara had grabbed both pairs of skis and hiked them over her shoulders with incredible strength. Lena’s thoughts wandered back to the woman’s arms, and she made a mental note to ask her if she worked out, and where. Kara gestured to the poles, boot straps hung over both of her forearms, and Lena got the message to grab them. They made their way upstairs, and out of the cramped locker room. It was a hassle, skis and boots and all, but they made it.

They dropped everything off at the ski rental place, Kara’s muscles aching only a bit. She welcomed it, though. It made her feel more in touch with all of her sensations, it made her feel real. Kara did have a habit of feeling a bit disembodied sometimes, she simply got distracted by everything around her. It made Kara feel like she didn’t exist, like she wasn’t real. So yes, she welcomed her aching muscles. She welcomed her lungs and ribs expanding and contracting after running. She welcomed the sharp pain on her fingers when they got caught in a bootstrap. She welcomed it because it reminded Kara of what she was, what she is. It reminded her that she was alive. 

They were both tired from almost a full day of skiing. Kara had gotten very good in the few days she had been here. Today, she found herself racing down the last slope of her first black diamond. Her cries and shouts of joy echoed around the mountain, and Lena, who was already at the bottom, found herself laughing and cheering as well. 

She all but slumped against her hotel room door, her eyes closing halfway, her limbs heavy. Lena chuckled at the sight of Kara’s exaggerated display of fatigue, but she was tired as well. And in need of a hot shower. Just the thought of curling up into clean sheets made her smile.

“Kara, do you want to sleep over again tonight?” Lena tilted her head, hesitation present in her eyes. All doubts vanished however, when Kara stopped trying to unlock the door for a moment and looked up at her. Fatigue was now replaced by joy.

“I would love to! Your room is very comfortable. And it smells nice.” Kara mused with a slow nod of her head. Lena laughed, earning a shy smile from Kara.

“Well, I’m going to shower and pack for tomorrow, so give me about half an hour, then come right on up.” Lena ended the phrase with a lilt of her eyebrow, and she doesn’t know if she was imagining things, but she could have sworn Kara’s cheeks got a little bit pink at the gesture. Kara inhaled, breaking the small staring contest they had started.

“Okay Lena, I’ll see you then.” She got the door open, not completely expecting it to open so fast, and stumbled inside.

“Bye, Kara.” The door shut with a soft click, and Lena sighed, a small smile left on her face. She never felt out of place with Kara. She never felt like she was missing out, she never felt like she was lacking anything. Kara never failed to put a smile on her face, but it was more than that. Lena longed to be around her, to be near her. She had been magnetized, and it wasn’t hard to see why. This longing was bigger than she was, it was powerful. It kept her so awake, so aware when she was with Kara, but looking back even ten seconds ago, before Kara closed the door, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Lena was in a trance, dizzy elation present in her stomach whenever she was around the other woman. It was addicting. 

Lena was lost in thought, still standing in front of the door. She must have looked strange, standing in such a long hallway all alone, and she laughed at herself. She decided to get a move on if she wanted to be out of the shower and ready before Kara showed up. So Lena walked quickly to the stairwell, running her fingers along the cold metal of the handrail as she climbed. The silence was comfortably disconcerting, filling the space around her, it was almost tangible. She stopped walking for a moment, leaning against the railing, one foot higher on the stairs than the other. Lena closed her eyes and breathed in, as if trying to inhale the moment, trying to inhale the feeling of fullness in her chest, trying to inhale the crisp night air, trying to grasp onto something as good, something as pure as Kara. As the effect Kara has had on her life. 

She kept walking, finally making it to her room. Once Lena was inside, she shrugged her sweaters off, along with her clothes, and after locking the door, she jumped into the shower. It had been a long day. Exposure to the intensified UV rays had made her tired, along with almost non-stop skiing for almost six hours. The silver knobs were cold to the touch, and goosebumps ran up Lena’s arms as she turned the water on. 

It was hot, pattering and echoing off the tiles of the bathroom wall. Lena closed her eyes, letting the water run through her hair, down her skin. She could feel the steam begin to rise, to accumulate around her. She opened her eyes, and found her vision obscured by the steam. Lena breathed it in, breathed it out; she felt like she was on some kind of high. She often felt this way around Kara, or after being with Kara, or when she was thinking of Kara.

Lena often found herself in a position where she had fallen in love too quickly. It wasn’t uncommon. She thought she was in love with a secretary she had a few years ago. Alice was her name. They had shared a kiss in her office. It meant the world to Lena, but nothing came of it. Lena just had to smile and congratulate Alice on her upcoming marriage after what she thought was an intimate moment. Her heart was crushed. But Lena was used to it. Her life had been devoid of many different types of love, she thought it only logical to pine after anyone who showed her kindness. Kara was one of these situations. Lena would fall, and Kara would leave, and it would all pass. Just another heartbreak stored in Lena’s all too painful array of memories. 

The water tangled into her hair and around her skin.

Kara was all she seemed to think about since they met. Would Kara like this? Would Kara like that? Would it be weird if I asked her to dinner? To lunch? The woman always found a way into Lena’s thoughts, and when they were together, she was filled with an indescribable sense of peace and exhilaration. She wondered if Kara thought of her the same way. Of course, that would be too much kindness to grant a Luthor, but dare to dream. Lena tilted her head back, allowing the water to trail down her face. Down her eyes, under her nose, across her lips. She went over her interactions with Kara from the time they met. Yes, Kara did seem to blush a lot around Lena, but that was just who Kara was. Yes, she did seem a bit flustered whenever Lena smirked at her, or quirked her eyebrow, but that was just who Kara was. And yes, Lena did find Kara staring at her sometimes, but maybe she was just observing her. There was no way Kara liked Lena like that. She knew it would never happen. The thought of them being together was bittersweet. It pulled on Lena’s heart and made her stomach flutter at the same time. She decided to bask in the moments they had already shared. Images of Kara filled Lena’s mind. Her face, her eyes, her hands, always grasping at something. Flashes of her laughter, head tilted back and mouth wide and moving. Flashes of the smell of her shampoo whenever she moved her head. Lena couldn’t deny it, she really liked her.  _ Like _ liked her. She smiled at the thought of Kara arriving soon. They could curl up and watch a movie like they did the other night. What should they watch this time?

There was a knock at the door. Three raps, quick and steady. Lena’s eyes snapped open, her thoughts shattered, blown away by the sudden noise.

“Hey Lena! It’s Kara.” Her voice was muffled through the wooden door, and the straining pipes, and the roar of the shower. Lena’s heart rate sped, ashamed that she had taken so long to get ready, and nervous that Kara was here right now. She shut the shower off, practically jumping out to grab a towel. She dried her hair quickly, just so it didn’t drip on the carpeted floor of the room, and wrapped the inconveniently short towel around her body. The steam in the bathroom started to clear, and Lena yanked the door open.

“One second!” Lena shouted as she made her way to the door, making a tremendous effort not to slip and fall. She tightened her grip on the towel around her shoulders and opened the door, lone water droplets sliding down her chest.

“Hi, Kara.”

Kara realized too late that she was standing too close to the door when it opened. She realized this because she was standing too close to Lena. Kara’s mouth opened and shut, not able to find words or even form a coherent thought in this exact moment. And this was because Lena, her incredibly pretty friend Lena Luthor, was standing right in front of her in nothing but a slightly damp white towel. She couldn’t find the words. All she could muster was a tight, strangled gasp that escaped without her conscious consent.  

Lena’s hair was darker when it was wet. Wavier too, and it framed her face. Her skin looked clearer, like she was glowing, and her lips looked darker. Her eyes were as bright as ever though, never lacking an almost mischievous glint. Kara was not expecting this Lena Luthor to be the one answering the door. To say she was taken aback was a great understatement. Her mouth was gaping, and she couldn’t help but look Lena up and down. Literally. Kara could not stop her entire head from moving, her gaze traveling from Lena’s legs back up to her eyes. This didn’t escape Lena. In fact, it probably wouldn't escape anyone. Kara wasn’t exactly subtle.

Lena stepped forward to push the door closed, and in doing so, she put herself even more into Kara’s space than she had been before. Lena wasn’t stupid. On the contrary. She was one of the smartest people in National City. She wasn’t oblivious to Kara’s reaction, her very obvious display of checking Lena out. So Lena stepped closer to Kara purposefully. One could call it an experiment. Lena needed to make sure there was a possibility that Kara had feelings for her. Or if they weren’t feelings that ran as deep as hers did, Lena wanted to test Kara’s attraction. Her face was much too red for what they had to be friendly. So Lena stepped closer.

Kara didn’t know what to do with her hands. She did know what to do, where to be, how to stand. A more pressing matter perhaps, was the fact that Kara couldn’t seem to move. She was trapped, locked in this very unfortunate situation that included Lena Luthor standing close enough to her that she could feel her body heat. She supposed that was from the shower. The image of Lena in the shower flashed in Kara’s head without warning, and she felt her knees grow weak. Lena’s eyes were set, narrowed, daring Kara to think about her the way she was right now. The corner of her lips were upturned only slightly, and Kara’s heart was racing. She felt her body involuntary lean in towards Lena’s, feeling the need to wrap her arms tight around Lena’s waist. Feeling the need to touch Lena’s face to make sure she was real. Kara pictured her fingers brushing down her face, starting from her hairline, over her eyelids, tracing her cheekbones, running over her lips. Kara wanted to scream, everything in her was pulling towards Lena, and everything in her was stopping that pull. This was agony, and Kara didn’t know what to do.

“Lena,” It came out as a low whisper, raspy, scarcely audible. Kara’s mouth was dry, she ran her tongue over her lips, trying to gather her thoughts. It didn’t escape Lena. Nothing did.

“I should,” Kara cleared her throat. “I should let you get dressed.” She stepped back, heart rate still speeding, but she was out of Lena’s gravitational grasp for now. Her shoulders relaxed, every tightened muscle now loose, and she let out a deep, shaky breath.

“Nonsense, Kara.” Lena chuckled and turned, walking farther into the room to get some clothes. “We’re both women; it’s not anything we haven’t seen before.” Lena’s smile and excitement induced heart rate were hidden behind a perfected mask of control and easiness. She wore this kind of power at work, head high, back straight, confidence oozing from her every movement. She was poised in such a way in hopes that Kara wouldn’t notice how nervous she actually was. Lena had unintentionally confirmed a mutual feeling of attraction, and her stomach was fluttering uncontrollably. She grabbed a loose shirt and some sweatpants and tugged them both on in the smoothest of motions. 

Kara had not moved from where she was standing, her feet burning holes in the ground, rocking back and forth. She couldn’t help her eyes from wandering over Lena’s exposed skin. Once she was done changing, Kara cleared her throat.

“So...Do you want to watch a movie?” Her voice cracked at the end when she realized Lena was climbing onto the bed, a nonverbal invitation for Kara to join her. She only then understood how hard it would be to sit so close to Lena for the rest of the night.

“Do you have anything in mind?” Lena got settled in between the pillows and crossed her feet over, waiting for Kara to sit on the bed next to her.

Kara did walk over to Lena, but she did so in a trance. She hopped onto the mattress and shuddered a bit when her still damp hair hit her in the back.

“You can choose this time, Lena.” She pulled herself under the blankets, goosebumps spreading across her legs at the contact of cold fabric.

“Oh, okay.” Lena shrugged and scrolled through what they had to offer. Her eyes caught on one show in particular.

“The 100… that sounds kind of cool.” Lena glanced over at Kara, looking to see if she had any objections. It appeared that she had none, so Lena selected it and they started watching. 

_ “I feel the sun on my face. I see trees all around me, the scent of wildflowers on a breeze. It’s so beautiful.”  _

Lena let out a deep sigh, snuggling further into the bed, trying to gather some body warmth. The towel on top of her head felt a little out of balance, but she needed her hair dry, or she would be cold all night.

The two women assumed similar positions they had the night before, time ticking away towards morning as they lay together. They fell asleep together, too. Breathing synced, minds quiet, muscles repairing, ribs expanding. The night sky was dark.

* * *

“Are you sure this is Lena’s room?”

“Nope. Who knows who we might be waking up.” 

Kara stirred, loud knocking at the door pulling her out of sleep. She sat up, looked around. The light from the window wasn’t as harsh. In fact, from what she could tell, it was cloudy. And….snowing? It looked like it. The knocking continued, incessant, tearing its way into Kara’s brain. She jolted up and ran to the door so the sound would stop.

“Alex! Maggie?” Kara looked between her sister and the shorter woman beside her, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Alex’s posture was anxious, but Maggie’s was patient. She knew Kara would put two and two together and figure out why they were knocking on Lena Luthor’s door at eight in the morning. Kara’s eyebrows rose up to her hairline, eyes wide and mouth open.

“Oh! We have to leave! Are we late? Did I mention to you guys that Lena was coming with us?” Kara’s brain tended to run very fast, churning out thoughts with seemingly no control. Maggie chuckled.

“Relax little Danvers. No we’re not late. And yeah, your friend can definitely come with us.” Maggie leaned against the doorframe cooly, rubbing Alex’s arm to get her to calm down a little bit as well.

“Well then, I’ll go wake her up so we can get some breakfast.” Kara backed away from the door and headed towards where Lena was still sleeping, a mess of limbs and hair and blankets.

“Sounds good, Kara. We’ll go pack the car, you can meet us in the parking lot.” Alex exhaled, glad they had everything in order, then intertwined her fingers with Maggie’s hand and hurried downstairs.

Kara shut the door, then walked back over to Lena, waking her up for the second time in two days.

It felt good, almost routinely. Kara would wake up, then wake Lena up, and they would start the day. She couldn’t help but think how things would be if they lived together. She couldn’t help but think how well it would work, and how good it would feel to have someone so connected to you to have someone with you. 

So Lena awoke, blinking sleep out of her eyes as she stood up. They got ready, it was a fast motion. Almost rehearsed, with minimal talking except for “Good morning,” and “sorry” when they got in each other’s way. Kara had brought up a change of clothes and her toothbrush so she could save time in the morning. It worked.

In a short ten minutes, they were both dressed and clean, Kara lugging Lena’s suitcase outside and Lena making the beds. They were out the door, talking and laughing about who knows what as they made their way downstairs. It felt good. It felt really good. Lena’s heart fluttered, nothing could ruin a day that had started off like this. Started off with Kara Danvers by her side. 

They ate quickly. Lena hardly touched her oatmeal, but Kara had her usual very full breakfast. Lena didn’t miss the taller woman smuggled some bagels in a napkin as they were leaving, but she didn’t comment. 

“Kara, I’ve told you many times. I can carry my own suitcase.” They were out in the parking lot, path obscured by freshly fallen snow. They had gotten lucky. All the days they had been here were clear, with bright sunlight making the snow glitter. It wasn’t clear today. They clouds were dark, and the snow was coming down in steady sheets. It made it hard to see, and it must’ve made it hard for Kara to drag Lena’s suitcase through the slushy parking lot.

“Don’t worry! It’s really not heavy at all.” Kara trudged along, Alex’s car in sight. The older Danvers was shoving skis into the trunk of the car, frustrated when they wouldn’t fit properly. 

“Alex! We’re here!” She ran the final stretch, plunking the suitcase down so Alex could throw it in the back.

“Get in Kara, we’ll leave in a second.” Kara nodded, but chose to stay out in the snow anyway. The crisp air felt good against her skin. Lena came up behind her, shuddering at the snowflakes that had built up in in her hair and down her coat. Kara laughed and moved closer to Lena. 

“You have snowflakes in your eyelashes!” Kara found this to be the most hilarious thing. Kara stepped closer to Lena and lifted her hands up to her face in an attempt to brush the snowflakes off. Lena blushed, Kara was so close to her, if Lena just leaned in, they would be kissing. She also blushed at the fact that Kara was taller than her. She hadn't noticed it before, but there was no mistaking it now. For them to kiss, Lena would have to reach up to be level with Kara’s face. She was always in so much power, she wasn’t used to looking up at someone. Kara let her hands brush down Lena’s face. They were locked in a staring contest, which Lena broke by looking down to Kara’s lips. They were so close. 

Alex had already packed everything up, and was inside the car next to Maggie. She rolled the window down, a shit eating smile on her face.

“Come on, lovebirds. We don’t have all day.” Alex shouted at the two forms standing against the snow. Lena heard Maggie’s laughter from inside and jumped away from Kara. Alex rolled the window back up as the two women got in the car.

The seats were cold, and the heater wasn’t doing much good so far. But everything was ready, so Alex started the car. The tired skid over the soft snow that had gathered in the parking lot. The windshield wipers moved back and forth, back and forth, squeaking against the snow covered window. Kara followed the movement with her eyes until she got dizzy. The last thing Kara wanted was to get carsick with three hours left to National city. So she stared out the window instead, head on the cold glass, the vibrations of the car rattling her teeth. Lena did the same, following the trees that were whizzing by. 

The heat finally kicked in, spreading through the car like a tangible mass, warming the cold that had filled their bones. They were all silent, all four of them appreciative of this calm energy after the rush to leave the hotel on time. Alex drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, the sound attracting Kara’s attention. Maggie clicked the radio on, and the sound of Frank Ocean streamed through the speakers. The soft bass rattled in Kara’s ears, it didn’t feel so good, but she didn’t have the heart to tell Maggie to lower the bass, so instead, she tried to sleep the time away.

The sleep wouldn’t come, and Kara had to remind herself not to swing her feet so she wouldn't kick Alex in the back. Lena was sitting behind Maggie’s chair, legs crossed, the seat belt cutting into her neck only slightly. 

The skis were placed between Kara and Lena, extending into the trunk. It was a strange silence that filled the car, it made Kara’s stomach feel hollow. She knew that this was a moment she would look back on. If it was possible, Kara was nostalgic about a moment that was happening in the present. She looked over at Lena. The window on her side wasn’t very interesting, all her possible view obscured by fog. They were driving through a cloud that was low enough to surround the mountain. It made the road very hard for Alex to see. That was part of the reason Alex liked leaving for the city early. There weren’t as many drivers on the road. It was safer. She went slowly anyway, though. The roads were slick with fresh snow, and she didn’t want to skid on such a defined decline. 

The music switched, the euphoric, dreamlike sounds of YAH. were drowning in the back of Kara’s mind. She began to doze off, thinking of how fun Christmas would be with Lena. Lena appeared to be on the way to sleep as well. Kara knows she would have woken up later if they hadn’t had to leave so early. The thought of Lena left alone in her hotel room, waking up without Kara beside her sent a pang through her heart. Her eyes closed, heavy with the fatigue that sitting in a car brings.

* * *

They had gotten off the mountain, exiting onto the most direct highway to the city. It was fairly empty, and the sun had emerged a bit, melting the snow on the ground. Kara was still sleeping, her head sliding down the window once in a while.

“Okay guys, only forty minutes left till we get to the city.” Maggie got a tired grumble in response from both Alex and Lena. Their legs were cramped, and Alex wanted nothing more than to take a break to stretch.

The city skyline was visible, dark against the low clouds from the snow storm earlier, and Maggie was happy to be home. Ever since she had the ability to move away from all traces of her family, the city had been her home. Anything that reminded her of her parents house brought back bad memories. The city is where she thrived. 

Alex’s was spacing out, the motion of the car and the vision of the road disappearing under their tires putting her in a trance. The music was still on, the low sounds laughter from morning radio shows filling the silence. 

They had been quiet for the entire ride so far, everything was calm. Until it wasn’t. 

  Until it wasn’t. 

There was an icy patch on the road. The sound of an engine revving, speeding, coming towards Alex’s car. Police sirens, the smell of burnt tires. Kara’s eyes shot open. They all looked through the front window, but there wasn’t enough time to brace for impact. It was too sudden, it was a scream, it was the shattering of glass, echoing and clattering on the asphalt. It was Alex’s head hitting the steering wheel, it was her eyes rolling back. It was Kara, heart racing, her head hitting the window, and a cry of pain from her lips before the crack. It was the air bag inflating hitting Maggie in the ribs. It was Lena, an expression of terror frozen on her face as she covered her head with her arms. It was the police car stopping. It was the screech of metal and paint, it was the halfhearted sparks that lingered around the car after the collision. It was the blood running from both Alex’s and Kara’s foreheads. It was the quiet snow that continued to fall, it was the sun moving across the sky, and it was the car, dented in on one side. It had fallen off the road.

 


End file.
